Road to Recovery
by Antique Orange
Summary: [Sequel to 'Five for Fighting'] After Johnny loses Amber to Dally the gang starts to crumble with the mounting tension of inevitable change. While fighting against their pasts, the gang struggles to find their futures.
1. Prologue

Road to Recovery (A Working Title)

Road to Recovery (A Working Title)

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plotlines and any new characters that crop up along the way

A/N: Much like the Five for Fighting, this story is also being reposted for continuity sake. Eventually I really will get a new chapter up too. Reading Five for Fighting before this would be beneficial and pertinent to understanding where this story is going. Hope you enjoy )

PROLOGUE

"Johnny-cake, stop makin' that face or it'll get stuck like that," Steve prophesized whilst fumbling with the TV knobs and trying to hold two cans of beer at the same time.

"Aw clam up will ya, I'm tryin' to work here," he responded staring forlornly at the blank piece of lined paper in front of him. The words 'My Composition' was written on top followed with a 'By: Johnny Cade'

The letters were lopsided and childish, but the pencil strokes were strong and didn't smudge.

'Doesn't look like you got yourself a masterpiece there," Steve commented looking over his shoulder critically.

Johnny allowed his face to contort into an even more unpleasant view and threw his pencil down in frustration.

"I just don't know where to start, I mean I wasn't expecting an assignment like this, the teachers said they'd just pass me on if I did well on my finals, there was nothin' about an essay," he said, his eyebrows, though unseen due to the length of his black shaggy hair, coming close together as he pinched his face tighter in concentration.

"You're just about the ugliest thing I've ever seen right now," Steve said before burping loudly and crunching the beer can he had just emptied.

"Man, don't leave that lying around, the last thing I need is my mom hollering about beer cans in the house,"

Wiping his mouth with the back of his arm, Steve leaned in closer to Johnny, "Listen man, it ain't so hard, the best place to start is the beginning," He said as intelligently as he could.

Johnny looked up at him, his brown eyes shining admiringly, "Yeah, the beginning…now I just need to figure out where the beginning starts," he said scrunching up his face again in a feeble attempt to concentrate.

"I'll tell you where it ends," Steve offered, "With your face stuck like that."

Johnny scowled but did his best to relax his features thereafter and turned to his paper, tuning out Steve to the best of his ability and thinking back before he retrieved his pencil from under the couch and started to write.


	2. One

Road to Recovery (Still a Working Title)

Road to Recovery (Still a Working Title)

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: See previous

ONE

I was told to write about my road to recovery, whatever that means.

As far as I'm concerned there have been two roads I've had to go down, and I don't know if I will ever reach the end of either of them.

Recovering from my accident, after killing the Soc and breaking my back, well mentally who can ever get over killing someone.

It still haunts me, the blood, the cold, the whites of his eyes, the look on his face, the smell of alcohol and expensive cologne. The sight of his family when they stopped by the hospital with the lawyer, the judge and the court, the looks I got in the street.

There ain't no getting over something like that.

But that's been told already, for the most part, by Ponyboy who suffers his own guilt, and wrote his own composition.

We came to the same conclusion, we had to move on, and one day soon, we had to move out. Away from the Socs and away from the Greasers, and away from the gang, if that's what it came to.

Ponyboy and I dig each other real well.

Physically, my road to recovery was complete I suppose, thanks to Amber.

Amber, with her golden red hair that curled around her, her green eyes that sparkled when she laughed, her upturned nose with the freckles that seemed to jump around her face, Amber.

That's the second road, recovering from losing her.

My beginning lies in her, mirroring her own composition at first but branching out all on its own, because there are things I never told Pony even, how could I when it was about his own twin sister.

But my beginning lies in her, in that day I first met her, the day I fell in love.

Nobody ever really thought I was smart, my teachers just thought I was dumb, cause I was a bit slower in catching on.

They considered me a lost cause by the end of first grade and I found myself believing them by second.

I never wanted to give up, but it seemed so easy once I started getting discouraged.

My parents were no help, my teachers stopped caring, and shoot, the gang just didn't really put much value in education.

The Curtis', they were real nice, Pony's parents I mean, and they tried to help but with three kids on their hands they didn't have much time to spend on anything except putting food on the table.

Still, they were a real nice family and I always wished they were mine.

My parents, they're real mean people, but they're still my parents and I always wanted them to love me, wanted someone to love me.

That first night, that Amber walked into the living room, I knew, because she didn't look at me in pity as I sat in that chair. I knew she would be different, that like Pony, she would understand me, but that she could love me, that maybe she even would.

Yeah, my beginning is her, but she didn't belong to me, she belonged to Dally Winston.

Dally and I go far back, I always admired him, even Pony realized it, calling him my hero and all.

I guess that's true, and I didn't want to have bad feelings towards him because he didn't ask for Amber to fall in love with him, shoot he tried to prevent it.

Still, part of me hated ol' Dally now, and that tore me up inside something awful.

I guess I'm not making much sense, so I'll just tell it straight, the way it went after that night when I gave up Amber and walked away, glad that I could walk away, but knowing that it didn't much matter when I had no where to walk to.

I didn't go home that night, I couldn't find the comfort in home that the others could. Even if they did have broken families and their share of problems, they all had parents that cared about them even if they were too dysfunctional to take care of them and too poor to raise them right.

I didn't hold it against them though, that's just how things were dealt and they were all quick to welcome me into their homes so I wouldn't have to go to mine.

But that night I just wanted to be alone, all of my energy had gone into giving Amber to Dallas.

I knew my typical place in the lot wasn't an option, and I ended up falling into a restless sleep under a tree in the same park that had started our story.

When I woke up the next morning under the pink streaked sky I found Pony standing over me.

"Amber told me what happened," he said flopping down next to me.

Even though Pony is two years younger than me, sometimes I think he's the only one in the gang who understands me.

I tried to smile, but I knew he wouldn't believe it anyway.

"I brought you some cake," he said pulling out a crumpled napkin from his coat pocket and handing it to me.

I hadn't realized how starving I was until I saw that smashed up cake.

"Thanks, Pony,"

"Listen, why don't you come by the house, the whole gang is there, maybe we can get up a game of football,"

I shook my head and crumpled the empty napkin into a ball shoving it deep into my jeans pocket.

"You can't stay away forever Johnny, it would kill the gang, and Amber too," he pleaded.

I wanted to say that Amber didn't give two hoots about me, I knew it wasn't true, but gosh it hurt to see her pining after Dally all those nights she was with me.

I sighed and shook my head but finally agreed to come, not seeing Amber was worse than seeing Amber with Dally.

We walked back to the Curtis house real slow, I was in no real rush to see Dally and Amber together or to get the pitying looks from the rest of the gang.

"No one knows yet, so you don't have to worry about anyone saying anything," Pony said almost like he could read my mind.

He really scared me sometimes, the way he could know what I was thinking.

"They'll all find out soon enough, I expect," I replied as evenly as possible.

"I reckon," he agreed as we neared the lot and the noise level started to pick up.

The boys were streaming out of the house yelling and performing all their usual stunts.

Dallas had just jumped onto the porch railing and was walking on his hands across the length of it before dismounting into what used to be Mrs. Curtis' flower garden.

Amber has just come running out of the house, her red hair flying behind her as she made to jump off the porch.

She spotted me before she took off and careened into the railing instead.

"Johnny, hi," she gasped trying to regain her composure.

Our eyes met, hers looks relieved.

I hoped mine didn't betray what I was really feeling, I didn't want her to know how much it hurt.

"Johnnycake, get over here and stop mooning over your girlfriend, lets play some ball," Steve called.

I saw her flush and turn away quickly as I did the same and headed over to where Steve, Soda, Darry and Two-Bit had gathered and were throwing the ball around.

Dally had made his way over to the porch swing where Amber had retreated and was sitting next to her a cigarette in one hand the other resting near her shoulder. He was pushing them back and forth slowly as they passed the cigarette.

It looked like she was trying to tell him something serious, his face kept contorting into a scowl and she looked miserable.

I hadn't realized I was staring and nearly jumped out of my skin when Two-Bit rested his arm on my shoulder and started to speak, "You just gonna let him scam on your girl Johnnycake?"

I shrugged my shoulders carelessly, "Actually, we're um, not seeing each other anymore"

"What?!"

I shrugged again, "It's no big deal…"

"What's no big deal?" Soda asked

"The kid isn't seeing the other kid," Two-Bit informed him

"What?!"

"Really it's no big deal…" I tried to say

"What's no big deal?" Steve asked having followed Soda.

I looked at Pony helplessly

"Come on guys let's play," Pony said scooping up the abandoned football, "leave Johnny alone."

"What do you know about this?" Darry asked Ponyboy who was looking pretty sorry that he had gotten involved.

"Listen, guys, it just wasn't working out, that's all," I said looking at them all as evenly as I could, being as short as I was.

"What do you mean it didn't work out?" Two-Bit asked

"It just…didn't," I said lamely

"Amber, come over here!" Darry yelled

"Darry, please," I begged as Amber jogged over.

"What's wrong, Darry?" She asked, looking up at him innocently, Dally creeping up to loom behind her.

"Why didn't you tell us you broke up with Johnny?"

"Because one, he broke up with me, and two, it's none of your business," she said with a slight smile and a gleam in her eye.

"I agree with the kid, it's none of your business," Dally spoke up.

Darry gave him one of his tough glances and switched his attention back to Amber.

I watched as his face contorted with new understanding and he looked back towards Dally taking in his protective stance, and knowing he was found out, the arm that was creeping around Amber's waist.

"No," he said firmly

"Yes Darry, but don't worry, we're.." Amber started

"Dallas, can I speak to you over there," Darry said evenly and started walking without waiting for an answer.

You don't mess with Darry, not even Dally will, so he followed him leaving the rest of the gang trying to sort out what had happened and Amber watching in horror, even from yards away you could see the vain in Darry's neck start to throb.

"This was your idea Johnny?" Two-Bit asked

I sighed, how could I ever explain to someone who thought he loved every blonde that walked by how it felt to be so in love with someone that you'd sacrifice your own feelings just so you'd know that they were happy.

"Johnny?"

I couldn't answer, I was too busy watching Amber.

Their conversation didn't last long, but when it was over only Darry came back.

"Darry, what did you do?" Amber asked, grabbing his arm.

His face was contorted in anger but it relaxed when he saw her as he pulled her to him and hugged her tightly.

When she pulled away his shirt was damp and her face tear-streaked.

"Darry?" Her voice was low, but we could all hear her, even the gang was quiet.

"Amber, listen to me, you cannot date Dallas Winston,"

Her eyes searched him, as if waiting for an explanation.

"You're fifteen, Amber, he's eighteen, eighteen with an exceedingly long jail record."

"Nobody is perfect, he's a good guy Darry, you know that, he's your friend!" she protested.

"Yes, he is my friend, and I'd do anything I could to help him, but I can't let you be with him."

"That doesn't make sense Darry, and what do you know, maybe I can help him, he's different when he's with me," she said desperately

"Amber, you can't be with someone because you want to change them, especially when they've had eighteen years of being that way, you can't change Dallas, and you can't date him either," Darry said firmly, holding onto her arms as she tried to back away from him.

"Tell me you didn't make him go away from here forever," she was shaking

"Not from here, just from you,"

She really started to cry then and each tear ripped me apart, I felt like I was intruding, like I shouldn't be seeing, I didn't want to be seeing, I just wanted to gather her in my arms and have that be enough for her.

Instead I just stood there, and watched helplessly as she wrenched herself out of Darry's arms and ran into the house leaving the gang standing in a shocked silence and Darry looking helpless.


	3. Two

Road to Recovery (A Working Title)

Road to Recovery (A Working Title)

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: I own noooooooooothing

A/N: Chapter II - Here we go!

TWO

The sound of the screen door slamming broke the silence as the gang started to discuss what had just happened exchanging looks of sympathy and casting them in my direction.

I wanted to melt into the ground, I had never felt so awful, this was all my fault.

I backed out of the group quietly and made my way onto the street turning only for a second to see that I hadn't been missed.

Darry was sitting on the porch steps, his head in his hands, Pony and Soda were hovering, they seemed to be arguing.

Steve and Two-Bit were laughing, to them it was an interesting afternoon, but nothing significant in their lives had changed. They would go out that night, get boozed up and pick up girls until Steve's girlfriend finally caught up with him and he'd go home with her leaving Two-Bit to hassle the neighborhood.

Tonight, would be a normal night for them, but for me…

I shook my head and turned down the road, faced again with no where to go.

"Johnny!"

I turned and saw Pony running towards me, I wished I had the heart to tell him to go away, but I knew I didn't want to be alone.

"Maybe you should go talk to Amber," I mumbled

"Soda already went," he said kicking a loose stone on the ground with the dirty tip of his tennis shoe. "I thought you might need someone to talk to"

"Nah," I said, and feeling as if that weren't enough added, "I'm fine."

"You sure you're ok?" He asked

I nodded, not even Pony could break through my feeling of total isolation.

"Ok, well I guess I'm gonna go home then, if you need anything…"

I nodded again, "See ya"

I went home this time and collapsed onto my sagging mattress, drawing the threadbare blanket up to my chin and rolling onto my side staring at the peeling wallpaper.

In this setting things could only feel depressing.

I heard my mom come in, she always slammed the door so forcefully I felt like the whole house was shaking.

I don't know how such a small person held onto so much anger, but she did.

"Johnny!" she yelled.

I rolled off the bed and shuffled into the living room staring at my shoes.

I wondered how many kids, especially those who were considered to be tough, those who committed murder even, were scared of their own mothers.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, I raised you better than that," she snapped.

I hated how much we looked alike.

She smacked me hard across the face, "I said look at me!"

I looked at her, but I didn't feel anything, not even hate, I just wanted to leave.

"Ungrateful, selfish, horrible spoiled child," she muttered, "find your own dinner tonight, and get out of my sight"

The gang thought I should hate her but I couldn't, she was my mother and part of me loved her, and wanted her to love me too.

I was pretty hungry by school the next day, but I forgot all about the gnawing ache in my stomach when I saw Amber standing by her locker, her hair falling into her face.

"Hey," I said, too soft for my liking, but I was finding it hard to find my voice around her at all.

She looked up at me, her eyes were red and irritated but she tried to smile anyway, "Hi Johnny" Her voice was real soft too.

"I'm sorry about what happened yesterday," I looked down at my feet, scuffing them on the floor.

"Don't be, it wasn't your fault," she said "I should have told Darry so he could have gotten used to the idea before seeing Dallas in person, I guess. He's being so stubborn about this, I don't know what to do.."

She stopped then, like she realized who she was talking to, and blushed, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be complaining about this to you, I'm just gonna go to class"

I watched her walk down the hall, things were awfully messed up.

I couldn't concentrate in my classes that day, or any day that week and spent the majority of school time doodling on the margins of my notebooks.

My nights were spent at home, despite the gangs' invitations to their houses or the movies, I just didn't feel much like socializing.

On the Tuesday after that first week I left Pony outside the boys' locker room for his track practice and turned down Two-Bits offer of a ride home just wanting to be alone.

Slouching low with my hands shoved deep into my jeans' pockets the collar of my jacket flipped up to cut the wind I made my way down the dirty sidewalks towards home dreading the silence yet anxious to take comfort in it.

My stomach gave a low long rumble halfway home and I searched myself for some money pulling out a couple of crumpled ones I'd found wet and plastered to the side of the washing machine at the laundry mat.

Crossing the street to the Dingo I was halfway in the door when a handwritten sign on the window caught my eye.

"HELP WANTED - Inquire Within"

Realizing I was holding up a couple of guys who were losing their patience I went in still thinking about the ad as I placed my order for a burger and coke with a brown headed girl with bright green eyes.

"Can I get you anything else, sugar?" she asked

"No thank you, well, yes, maybe," I stammered out.

She looked at me expectantly, pen ready on the paper, "I was just uh…wondering, about that sign in the window," I said meekly

"Well I don't know anything about that, you'll have to talk to our manager," she offered jerking her thumb in the direction of a burly man, probably in his early twenties with a thick head of black shiny hair.

"That's Ace Martin, why don't you go on over and talk to him while I get your order," she said kindly before disappearing back behind the counter.

Getting up slowly I wondered at my shaking knees and took a deep breath, I didn't feel comfortable around guys like this.

I nearly lost my nerve all together when he yelled something to one of the girls behind the counter showing off two rows of straight white teeth, there was no mistaking this guy for anything but a Soc.

"Um, hi, Mr. Martin…" I stammered trying not to slouch too much and wishing my hair wasn't so slicked back.

His eyes traveled over me but seeing as I looked like most of the boys who went there, I guess I wasn't anything new to him.

"What can I do for you?" he asked me briskly

"I was wondering…about the sign in the window,"

"You looking for a job, kid?" he asked

I nodded

"You do any heavy drugs?"

I shook my head

"Work hard?"

"Yessir"

"You're not looking to get a job just for the food are you?" He asked eyeing my lean structure.

I shook my head again, "No sir"

"Willing to work late?"

"As late as you need," I said straightening up some with the hope that he wasn't going to reject me.

"Can you start tonight kid?" he asked

"Sure,"

"Good, then I'll see you back here at six, you'll be bussing tables," he said and turned away to show that the conversation was over.

I left with a goofy grin on my face, not sure why I had just done what I did but thrilled at the idea of a paycheck, I could start saving to get out of here.

I didn't realize that I had walked out on my food until three hours later when I was on my way back and my stomach let out another growl.

Mortified at the thought of having run out without paying my bill, or eating my food, I dragged my feet up the stairs and into the Dingo unenthusiastically hoping I wasn't fired before I could get started.

"Back again, doll?"

Drawing my eyes up off the floor I met the twinkling eye of the brown haired girl from before, "I'm workin' tonight," I mumbled feeling my face flush.

"Oh, well I'm glad to hear things worked out," She said with a smile that managed to light up her whole face without looking fake.

Not knowing what to say, I mumbled my thanks scuffing the toe of my shoe on the shiny tiled floor as the silence dragged on.

And when I thought I couldn't feel more awkward, my stomach let out the largest rumble of all lasting so long I contemplated just beating it out of there.

The silence returned after my stomach quieted down for only a few seconds before I heard her start to giggle, and then laugh.

Forcing myself to look up despite my flaming cheeks I saw her shoulders shaking as she tried not to laugh out loud causing herself to snort.

I had the urge to laugh too but I couldn't get over my embarrassment that quickly and sent a silent prayer of thanks when Mr. Martin came from around back and called me to him with a, "hey Kid, I'm not paying you to stand there, get behind the counter and find an apron!"

"Yessir!" I said receiving a swift smack on the behind as I walked past the brown haired girl.

Turning to look at her in surprise she stared back unabashed, "sorry, you're cute," she said with a wink.

"Th..Thanks," I stuttered

This made her start to giggle again which made me even more nervous and I dropped the apron Mr. Martin threw at me.

Stopping to pick it up she pinched me on my behind again causing me to stand up abruptly and nearly smack my head into the edge of the counter.

She had backed up a few feet, a playful smile on her lips, and had her hands braced on the counter as if ready to start running should I decide to chase her and try to pinch her backside.

"Kid!" Mr. Martin barked.

Flushing an even deeper red I hurried into the back slipping on a fallen hamburger bun nearly falling onto the floor, all too aware of someone's eyes following me.


	4. Three

Road to Recovery

Road to Recovery

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my own imagination and some of the imagination I borrowed from Hinton

THREE

When I got off work at half past eleven that night I was exhausted, but satisfied, sort of like how you feel after finishing a really tough game of football.

The brown-haired girl, who eventually introduced herself to me as Kathy offered me a ride home.

I nodded silently and we headed out to the parking lot where her beat up old Chevy was the only car besides Mr. Martin's.

"I borrow it from my brother, I know it's not much, but it gets the job done," Kathy explained as she jiggled the door handle until it finally gave and the door opened.

She reached across the ripped up interior and opened my door for me with another smile, "hope you don't mind all the junk…it just sort of builds up," she added with a shrug.

"Oh, it's ok," I managed, "you should see my friend Two-Bits car, now there's a piece of work."

"So you can speak in whole sentences," she smirked

"Yeah, I can," I said slouching low in my seat.

"Where should I drop you off kid?" She asked as she sped down the street

"The lot, right over there," I said pointing to the dimly lit pavement.

"Nice house," she said eyeing the empty lot as she pulled to a stop, "doesn't it get a bit drafty?"

I forced a laugh, "I'm just meeting some friends here…thanks for the ride"

"Anytime, kid."

I closed the door and she sped off leaving me in a cloud of exhaust.

Shuffling towards the lone street lamp I stopped as a female voice drifted across the lot, carried by the breeze.

"I better get going Dallas, Darrys going to kill me if I miss curfew."

Amber

"Aw, he can keep his shirt on, stay a few more minutes."

Dallas

I hated how I hated him then

They fell silent and I dropped down against the street lamp, my back to them willing myself not to hear.

"Dallas," she was laughing, "Stop it, I really need to get home."

"Ok, Ok, I'll meet you tomorrow when you get out of practice, what was it you told Darry you were doing?"

"The library, big history report, which is the truth, you can help me research,"

"I don't do the library…"

"Well starting tomorrow, you do," she said, and I had to smile at the thought of Dally in the library, shoot I don't think he even knows where the library is.

"Amber…"

"Goodnight Dallas," across the lot I could see her stand on her toes to kiss him goodnight

I turned around quickly as she headed across the lot towards her house and Dallas got into his car and left.

I scrambled to my feet as she approached, stepping out into the light in front of her as she tried to make her way quietly across the pavement.

She stumbled backwards with a little shriek when she saw me, "oh shit, Johnny you scared me," she said with one hand over her chest.

"Sorry," I said with a lopsided grin

I wasn't really sorry, the look on her face was priceless

"How long have you been there?" She asked wrapping her arms around herself

She was wearing his jacket but she smelled like her shampoo leading to a mixed smell of leather and honeydew.

"Long enough to get you in a load of trouble."

She eyed me warily before a smile split across her face, "you wouldn't dare or you know I'd tell Pony about that time we were at the drive-in and you…"

"Ok, Ok I won't tell," I said feeling my face flush a bright red.

She smiled again in playful triumph, she always did love winning, and then she looked down at her feet scuffing them a little against the pavement.

"Well, I really do need to get home," she said looking up at me, "you staying here tonight?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Ok, well, the front door is open if you want to come in," she said with a slight smile before turning to leave.

"Ok, night…Oh and Amber, your secret is safe with me," I said

She turned around quickly and threw her arms around me pulling away after the briefest of hugs, "Night, Johnny, and thanks," she said and then paused wrinkling her nose, "why do you smell like grease and sauerkraut?"

I felt my face burning again and stepped back a few feet, "don't know," I mumbled.

She shrugged, "See you in school then," and she was gone.

The next morning I ached all over. I knew it wasn't from sleeping on the hard pavement of the lot, I was used to that. But my arms ached from scrubbing and my legs from bending to pick up the boxes of frozen hamburger patties the night before, and I could feel myself slouching more than ever.

Making my way over to the Curtis' house I saw Two-Bits beat-up car parked outside, two wheels up on the curb.

Painfully making my way up the front stairs and into the house I held one hand to my back as I entered the chaos that is the Curtis family getting ready in the morning.

Amber was in the kitchen breaking eggs into a frying pan despite Two-Bits attempts to distract her by sitting on the counter next to the stove.

"If you're going to sit in front of the toaster, at least make yourself useful," she said while shoving a loaf of bread into his hands and taking a fork to the eggs.

Soda was running around as usual half dressed and full of energy while Darry attempted to get him settled down and ready for work while sealing a bunch of envelopes.

"Now don't you two forget to mail these on your way out, if I come home to a dark house I'll skin you both," he said handing the envelopes to Pony who shoved them into his bag as the smoke detector began to whine.

"Oops, I think I over-cooked them a bit," Two-Bit said waving his hands in front of the smoking toaster and removing two smoldering pieces of bread.

"Nevermind," Amber said before spooning out eggs onto everyone's plates and putting a knife next to the chocolate cake that was in the middle of the table.

"You eating Johnny?" she asked me eyeing me near the door where I had stopped to observe.

"No thanks, I'm not really hungry," I mumbled dropping down slowly onto the couch holding my back all the while. Gosh it ached something awful.

"You getting old on us Johnny?" Soda asked with a grin

"Yeah Yeah, got any Tylenol?" I asked

"I'll get you some," Pony offered jumping up from the table and running into the bathroom.

"Here's some water," Amber said appearing over the couch and handing me a glass as Pony came back with the Tylenol.

"Ok, now both of you eat something and go to school, I got another call from the school about you being tardy," Darry said

"Don't forget, I'm going to the library after practice," Amber said and she slid into her seat and started to eat.

"So I says to her, 'hey baby, if God made anyone more perfect than you, I hope he kept her for himself!'," Two-Bit said finishing with a huge laugh joined by Soda who was the only one listening to him.

"Soda come on, we have to go," Darry said searching the table for the keys to the truck, "be good you two, have a good day, and for god's sake don't forget to mail those bills."

With Soda and Darry gone the house quieted down some, but Two-Bit's voice carried across the house as Pony and Amber swept all the dishes into the sink and grabbed their school bags.

"Alright Johnny-cake you ready to roll?" Two-Bit asked hauling me out of my seat.

"Yeah," I said rubbing my arms to try and loosen up the muscles some.

"You sure are actin funny today," he said

I shrugged and he messed up my hair with a smile, "you're alright kid,"

"Yeah, you're alright too, Two-Bit," I muttered as the Tylenol began to kick-in and my muscles relaxed slightly.

The lessening of the pain brought the memories of unfinished homework and I moaned inwardly as I climbed into the backseat alongside Ponyboy realizing I had left my school bag at the Dingo the afternoon before.

"Two-Bit," I called hesitantly in an attempt to be heard over the blaring music and Amber's squeal as the car drove off the sidewalk with a crash and sped down the road, "Two-Bit?"

"What is it, kid?" He asked turning the radio down a notch.

"Would it be possible, I mean would you be willing, to uh, drop me off at the Dingo, I forgot something there yesterday," I stammered fearing the inevitable question that for whatever reason I just didn't want to answer.

"What were you doing at the Dingo by yourself?" He asked, and I sighed, feeling trapped.

"I was hungry."

"And you didn't think the rest of us would be hungry?"

"You were all busy," I mumbled.

Two-Bit cocked his eyebrow in the mirror and didn't say anything else but took a sharp left and came to a screeching halt in front of the Dingo drawing a gasp from Amber and a soft, "oh!"

"Want us to wait for you while you go in and look?" Two-Bit asked while eyeing the waitress through the window.

"Yeah," I said scrambling over Ponyboy to get to the one backseat door that opened from the inside, "I'll just be a minute"

"Maybe I should come help you look…" he said moving to get out of the car.

"I'll be just a minute," I repeated again not wanting anyone to recognize me and blow my cover to Two-Bit.

I slammed the door shut and watched it bounce back open. Ponyboy reached over and pulled it shut again locking it firmly and waving me on.

The bell over the door rang softly as I stepped inside with my eyes towards the floor ignoring the opportunity to identify the waitress that had attracted Two-Bits attention.

Eyes down I made my way towards the booth I had occupied the afternoon before oblivious to the goings on around me and finding it too late to avoid the pair of shoes that were rapidly approaching my own before I collided into a body and found myself doused in orange juice.

"Johnny!"

I looked up to find myself face-to-face with Kathy and felt the familiar blush creep up my neck and onto my cheeks staining them red.

"I'm sorry," I murmured as I realized she too was covered in liquid that was quickly spreading across her blouse.

She blotted at it hastily as I bent to the floor and tried to gather the spilled glasses that had now rolled under the nearby tables, damning my clumsiness and wishing once again, that I could just disappear into the floor.

"Johnny!" she said again in a smooth, quick voice drawing my attention so quickly I nearly smacked my head into the table above me.

"Stand up," she said as I meekly made my way out from under the booth.

I did, handing her the glasses which she placed on the table beside her despite the hood who sat peering out from behind his dirty magazine to stare at the scene before him.

"I'm sorry," I said again

She shrugged, "What are you doing here so early?"

"I uh, I forgot my bag…the last time I was here." I explained, hastily eyeing the clock and fearing for Ponyboy and Amber should they be late to school again. Darry was real strict about those things.

"It's behind the counter, we went though it last night but couldn't find any ID."

"I don't drive."

"I surmised as much last night," she said coolly.

"Yeah, well, could I just get it, then?"

She gave me one of her bright smiles and beckoned me towards the counter.

I eyed her wearily and tried to keep my backside away from her lest she think about swatting it again.

Finding it under the counter in an old hamburger box labeled 'Lost & Found' I slung it over my shoulder, "Thanks."

"Anytime, doll." She winked at me before retreating into the back to refill the order I had caused her to spill.

I grabbed some napkins and starting dabbing at my own shirt which was damp and starting to smell even worse than the night before, hoping Kathy's tips wouldn't suffer that morning because of me.

Tossing the napkins aside I walked back outside, Two-Bit's car was fairly shaking with the loud music playing inside. Ponyboy was engrossed in a book but Amber looked as though she didn't know if she wanted to join Two-Bit in his dancing or run for cover from his flying limbs.

The sun was reflecting off her hair making it gleam an even darker red and I had to pull my gaze away as Pony opened the door and scooted over to make room for me on the torn seat.

"Took you long enough, you get lost?" Two-Bit asked with a smirk though we all knew he was in no real rush to get to school.

I shook my head as Amber peered around from the front seat to look at me, "Why are you all wet, Johnny? Did someone spill on you?"

"No, I just went swimming," I said sarcastically, finding little satisfaction in the shocked look on her face as she turned swiftly in the seat and stared back out the window.

I don't get mouthy often, especially not with her.

I couldn't help it though, ever since she had left my life and Kathy had entered I felt like I had two left feet, and I hated it.

For once in his life Two-Bit didn't comment and cranked the music to a level I didn't know possible before revving the engine and speeding out of the parking lot into on-coming traffic narrowly avoiding a white Trans-am.

Amber said nothing.


	5. Four

Road to Recovery

Road to Recovery

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Chapter four...not much else to say :) R&R please!

FOUR

We pulled into one of the parking spaces farthest from the door in silence, Two-Bit said it the rest of the lot was full, which it might have been considering how late we were, but mostly it was because all Greasers parked back there to make leaving school less obvious and to separate the Grease cars from the Soc ones…as if the peeling paint or leather interior wouldn't work just as well.

The walk into the school was long and uncomfortable despite Two-Bit's chatter, the way Amber was avoiding looking my way was killing me and I stopped trying to keep up with the clattering of her heels against the pavement.

As we separated in the emptying hallway I tried to stop her.

She looked at me expectantly with a quick glance at the clock hanging from the wall, "what is it Johnny? I'm already late"

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, for what I said this morning."

She shrugged, "forget about it."

I opened my mouth to say something else, though I didn't know what, but she stopped me, "I have to go, you heard what Darry said."

Her voice didn't contain any accusations but it was colder than I would have expected from her and before I could respond she was walking quickly down the hall to catch up with Pony and go to homeroom.

The bell rang as I was standing there but without anyone to care if I was tardy or not, I took my time making my way to my own homeroom.

A group of soc jocks were up ahead causing me to detour quickly from my intended route past my locker and into the senior hallway, head down to keep anyone from recognizing me. You can't just kill a soc and expect everyone not to know you.

My quick turn hadn't left me with any time to check for anyone coming from the other direction and the next thing I knew I was flat on my back, my school bag several feet away from me.

"Glory, kid! You really need to watch where you're going."

I couldn't bring myself to look up and meet the green eyes I knew would be staring down at me.

"Well, are you going to get up and apologize for falling on me twice now?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"What are you doing here?" I blurted out as I stood up.

"The same thing you are," she said with a twinkle in her eye, "avoiding class….and them," she added with a glance over at the jocks who were making their way down the hall past where we stood.

I could see them exchange glances between them and then towards us, stooping to pick up my bag I slung it back over my shoulder, "let's get out of here," I mumbled hoping she didn't notice the trouble I was having breathing.

Back in the parking lot, leaning against her brother's car, smoking a cigarette I could feel my face going back to its normal shade.

"You are the same kid, aren't you?" she asked eyeing me level.

I gave a small nod unable to look at her face, to see her horrified reaction.

"I think it serves them right, to lose one of their own after they harass us the way they do, they're such arrogant…" and she went on in a colorful vocabulary that would have made even Two-Bit proud.

I couldn't believe her response, most greasers hate socs, but her reaction was so strong I had to wonder if she had a reason, other than social class, to feel that way.

I still couldn't meet her eyes and she punched me softly in the arm, "hey, it really doesn't bother me."

I studied her then, she had a cute face, sort of like a pixie, not pretty exactly, and not at all the heart shaped face of Amber, but cute in its own way. Her eyes were big and bright and lit up her whole face. Her brown hair was pulled away from her face and secure with a clip which she unclasped then, letting the lengths of brown fall in front of her face.

"I have to keep it back for work," she explained breaking the silence, I expect she was summing me up too finding the outside appearance unsuitable for the murderer that lay inside.

"I uh, didn't know you worked so early,"

"Oh, yeah, well you know, a few hours here, a few hours there, they add up eventually," she said with a careless smile.

I nodded, not wanting to pry into her life and ask what they needed to add up for, I always found most people liked to keep their private life private.

She nodded towards the door as I put out my cigarette, "want to go in? We're already here."

"I guess we might as well," I said

"You're a nice guy, Johnny, just try to loosen up," she said with a smile as we reached the door, "I'll see you around, maybe we can catch a coke sometime."

"Yeah, maybe."

She laughed softly and headed down the hall with a wave leaving me alone again and with no other choice than to draw in a deep breathe and head to class.

I didn't have to work until dinnertime but I didn't accept Two-Bit's ride home either, I didn't feel like being in my house or hunting for blondes. Instead, I headed over to the DX to watch Soda and Steve with the cars. When I got there Steve had his head under the hood of a Cadillac, his hands were braced on either side of the car, they were black with dirt and oil. Soda was standing next to him wiping his hands off on a rag, which he handed to Steve when he reemerged from under the car hood.

"Carburetor?" he asked

Steve nodded, "we'll have to replace it"

On the sidewalk coming up behind me was a group of girls who were already giggling and pointing in their direction.

It was the sound of their laughter that brought me to Soda's attention, "hey Johnnycake, what's doin?" he asked while keeping an eye on the girls who had slowed their pace to barely a walk.

His face split into a grin and he winked at them before turning back to the car, signaling for me to follow.

Throwing an arm around my shoulders he peered into the car again, "what do you think, tuff car huh?" he asked.

I didn't miss the hint of envy in his voice but it went unnoticed by Steve who was now thoroughly checking out the girls on the street who had given up all pretense of just happening to walk past and who were now edging their way into the parking lot.

"Pretty tuff," I said pretending to know what I was looking at.

He sat down on the hood of Steve's beat up car a few feet away and I followed him hunching over so my elbows rested on my knees.

"So, how ya been Johnnycake?" he asked

Soda is one of the few people who really, truly seemed to care about other people.

I shrugged, "ok, I guess"

"I know how hard it is to lose a girl," he said in a warm voice and I saw pain flicker across his face for just a second before he continued, "but we all survive, huh?"

I tried to smile, "I guess so"

"You'll be ok," he said ruffling my hair in an affectionate, big brother type of way.

Not for the first time, I felt envious of Ponyboy. I'd do anything to have a brother like Sodapop, or even Darry, someone to care. I guess when you got right down to it, I did.

I smiled a real smile at Soda this time, "Shoot, I know it," I said, though I didn't, not really.

A while later I waved goodbye to Steve and Soda who were at this point more engrossed in the girls than in the cars and headed down the street.

I still had a few hours 'til work but I figured maybe I could snag a back table and work out all my homework with a coke and burger, my stomach was rumbling something fierce.

Nearing the public library, I thought of Amber, she would be in there by now, with Dallas.

As if my thoughts had called to her she appeared a few seconds later, face flushed storming out of the heavy wooden door letting it slam behind her and stepping down the concrete stairs as quickly as she could.

She was still in her cheering uniform and her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail that was swinging violently with every step she took.

I stepped forward to call to her and then heard the door slam open again to reveal Dally.

Stepping back I stood behind a phone booth on the other side of the road watching as he called out to her and she turned on her heel to glare at him from her spot on the sidewalk.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he yelled angrily as he approached her stopping only a foot or so away.

"What's wrong with me?" she shrieked in an uncharacteristically high voice, "me?"

"No, the other chick who just ran away from her boyfriend for no reason," he replied sarcastically.

"You call trying to feel me up in public - in front of the librarian - no reason?" she asked

"I was bored," he replied in a dry voice, shrugging, "I told you, I don't do libraries."

"You're disgusting," she spat turning to leave

He grabbed her arm, "Come on baby, what's the big deal?" he asked pulling her to him

She pushed him hard in the chest and he let her go, more from surprise than impact, I think.

"The big deal," she said in a steadied voice, "is that you obviously don't respect me, I can't believe you would even try something like that."

"Lots of people do stuff in the library other than study," he said drolly

"Well I am not 'lots of people'," she said, "so get used to it."

"We wouldn't be having this problem if you'd meet me somewhere where we could actually do something, I don't want to hide behind stacks of books, Amber," he said "if you're going to be with me you should at least act the part."

"And what part is that? The slutty blonde? Or was Sylvia a brunette? I can't remember."

His face took on a real murderous look then and she must have realized she had overstepped a line because she made to leave again but was stopped by his hand on her arm in a tight grip that I wouldn't be surprised if it left bruises.

He raised his other hand and looked for all the world like he was going to belt her in the face.

I stepped out into the street, ready to stop him, I could never see Amber get belted, not by anyone, especially Dally. Not even after a comment like the one she had made.

But he seemed to change his mind at the last minute, maybe from the fear that was written all over her face, or maybe something different.

I willed myself to walk away but I didn't, I went back to my place behind the phone booth and kept listening, knowing it was none of my business but figuring it was ok since they weren't exactly troubling to keep their voices down and they had already attracted several onlookers who waited with somewhat baited breath to see if she'd get slugged.

He ran his hand through his hair instead and let the wisps of white-blonde hair fall back into place on his forehead.

"Low blow," he said dangerously

I couldn't help but think that Pony would love to be here just for the chance to sketch the look on his face, some of his best drawings were of Dallas either before or after a fight.

"I'm sorry," she said, "but you don't seem to understand that this isn't easy for me, I don't like to sneak around and lie to my brothers."

"You didn't seem to mind when it was to meet Curly Shepard down at the river bottom," he said cruelly as if to get her back for her comment about Sylvia.

"I asked you not to bring that up again," she said in a loud, strained voice jerking her arm out of his grasp.

"Well I don't understand Amber, you were willing to lie to Darry and sneak around in order to see Curly, but you act like you're terrified of standing up to him now."

"Oh, stand up to him how, like you did that day when he told you we couldn't be together? Is that how I should stand up to him, walk away and not talk to him every again, avoid the issue all together?" She asked sarcastically. "Don't criticize how I handle things when you don't handle them at all."

"I handle things fine," he said his voice rising again

"Then why don't you fix things with Darry, or Johnny, huh? Why don't you talk to Johnny anymore? Are you afraid?" She sneered

I jumped at the mention of my name and wished I was anywhere but where I was.

"Don't talk to me about Johnny…"

"Are you never going to talk to me again, after I walk away, will things be over because you're too big a baby to clean up your messes?" she plowed on.

"You know what, just forget it," she said and this time turned on her heel quickly and ran down the sidewalk, not turning to look back.

Dally stood there for a minute before starting off in the opposite direction.

Leaving the seclusion of the phone booth I started walking in the same direction Amber had headed in, I hated to think of her walking back to her house alone, it just wasn't safe for someone like her…or for me either.

"Johnny?"

I froze as I heard Dally call my name.

"Dally, hey," I said, turning around to meet him face to face gulping down my fright, "I thought you'd left."

"Thought I should get her stuff, she ran off without it," and he erupted into a stream of curses as if he'd momentarily forgotten that I was there, or the role I played in the whole situation.

"So how much of that did you hear?" he asked once he'd finished.

I looked down at my shoes with total concentration, not daring to look him in the face. You didn't show weakness to someone like Dallas Winston, they wouldn't understand it.

I shrugged, "too much, I didn't mean to listen…"

"Yeah, don't worry about it kid"

"I uh, I gotta go, Dal, I'll see you later," I said, anxious to get away, to forget what I'd heard.

I didn't think there'd ever be a time I didn't want to talk to Dallas Winston.

He didn't say anything and when I turned to look all I saw was his back retreating into the library, a picture I never thought I'd see.

It didn't occur to me until after I had hurried my pace and got close enough to Amber to keep her in my sight but far enough away that she wouldn't hear me behind her, that Dallas' thoughts weren't for himself at that moment as he went back into the library - a building that might as well be in China for all he ever saw it, but for her.

Review, Please :)


	6. Five

Five for Fighting

Five for Fighting

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: Half mine, Half Hinton

FIVE

I followed Amber the rest of the way home shuffling down the sidewalk quietly, lost in my own thoughts.

Tears were running down her face but like me, she wasn't making any noise except for the occasional sniffle and I could tell she was lost in her own thoughts too.

I couldn't help but wonder if maybe I was in them, if she ever thought about me outside of the times when I was in her house.

I held back as we approached her house but she stopped on the front stairs, "I know you're there Johnny, are you coming in or not?" she asked.

I started out of my thoughts, "uh, yeah, thanks," I stuttered.

She pulled the screen door open and walked inside, letting it slam shut after her.

I sighed and opened it again letting myself into the house, closing the door quietly behind me.

"So how much of that did you hear, or was the phone booth not a good spot for listening?"

I twirled around, Amber was in the kitchen holding a glass of water looking at me intently, her face free of tears but still red and blotchy.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to listen, but I was uh, worried about you," I replied

She sank down onto a kitchen chair and beckoned for me to do the same.

"Are you ok?" I asked sitting down, playing with the salt shaker.

She shrugged, "I don't know, I just get so frustrated, I feel like…"

"Amber! Pony! Are you home?"

The screen door slammed as Soda and Steve came into the house bringing the thick smell of car oil with them.

Amber stood up, "In here, Soda!" she yelled back hurrying over to the sink and splashing cold water on her face before he came in.

"Why is your face all wet?" Steve asked, always willing to jump on the chance to sniff out trouble for Pony or Amber.

"I just washed it," Amber replied patting her face with the threadbare dishtowel, "you should try it sometime," she added, throwing the towel at him.

Soda grinned but his eyes took in the puffiness of hers and I knew she would have him on her case as soon as they were alone.

Maybe she would tell him the truth, maybe she wouldn't, but it's awfully hard to keep something personal-like from Soda.

The doorbell rang then and everyone in the kitchen paused, no one in the gang would ever think of ringing the bell, or even knocking; shoot, they hadn't even mastered the concept of not slamming the screen door after they barged into the Curtis' living room.

"Shit, I hope it's not a surprise inspection from the state," Soda said as Amber cast him a puzzled look and walked over to the front door pulling it open cautiously.

"Dallas!" She said in surprise giving him a once over before turning around and shutting the door.

Dally held it open though, "don't be a bitch Amber, I just came to bring you your shit," he growled.

She looked surprised and took her books from him, "Amber, who is it?" Soda yelled from the bathroom where he was trying to scrub the dirt from his face.

"I need to talk to you," Dallas said. I could barely hear him from the kitchen now that Steve had turned on the kitchen radio full blast as he rooted through the ice box.

"Amber!" Soda yelled

"Uh…" she looked at Dally and then behind her towards Soda, "Just the paper boy, I'll give him his money," she said quickly and then slipped out the door.

I moved closer to the open kitchen window almost without meaning to but fully aware that I should not be listening in.

Steve moved into the living room with a beer in one hand and a slice of cake in the other, "turn off that radio Johnny-cake so I can hear the TV," Steve requested

I moved across the kitchen and turned off the radio which amplified the voices that were drifting in from outside.

"Well you said you wanted to talk, so talk," Amber said, her books still held tightly to her chest.

Dally kept quiet another minute or so and Amber made to leave but his hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"What?" she asked irritably, or at least she was trying to sound irritated. I could hear the strain in her voice.

"We need to end this," he said gruffly

"I agree, which is why I was going back into the house until you figured out what you came all the way over here to say," Amber replied haughtily

"Not this discussion…I mean us, I was stupid to even think about dating someone like you, let alone behind Darry's back. You've turned the gang against me, I don't even get anything out of it, you ignore me in public like you're ashamed of me, and just look at you, I said it all along, you're different and you don't belong here."

"Dallas…you don't mean that," her voice was shaking now and from the window I could see her ponytail quiver and her shoulders hunch over as she fought back tears.

"Yeah, I do," Dally said but I knew he didn't, but he was going to go through with it all the same…at least for now.

Amber threw her books down onto the porch stairs and stepped towards Dally, reaching out towards him but he recoiled and stepped backwards the second her skin touched his.

"Go back in the house Amber, this is over, it never should have started. I don't even like you, I hate girls like you."

He was doing a pretty good job of ignoring the tears that were now falling down her face, and he swept the hair back from his eyes and continued. "I don't know what I was even thinking, I should have smartened up after that Cherry broad pulled that stunt weeks ago."

"But I love you," she whispered in so low a voice that I only knew she had said it by reading her lips.

He visibly hardened then, his eyes bright with the hatred he had so carefully constructed against the world.

"Just stay away from me Amber," he said roughly and almost menacingly and then he was gone, loping across the front yard and towards the lot.

I sat watching her as she stood watching him until Ponyboy and Darry pulled into the driveway.

"Amber, what are you doing?" Darry asked slamming the door of the rusty old Ford.

To her credit she had managed to stop crying and bent to pick up her books as Pony and Darry drew closer.

"Nothing Darry, just getting some fresh air," she murmured.

"Did you finish your history report?" he asked walking past and ruffling her hair

"Not yet, it's not due 'til Friday though," she replied following her brothers into the house.

"Well make sure you finish it before…" he stopped, an all together surprising occurrence once he was in his routine of grilling her or Pony about their homework, and studied her in the light. "Have you been crying?"

She shook her head, "I think my allergies are acting up," I jumped as she deposited her books on the kitchen table, "I'll go change and start dinner."

She hurried from the room leaving her three brothers unconvinced, "bit early for pollen to be making her eyes that red and swollen," Darry said eyeing Pony who just shrugged.

I doubt any of them realized that I was the only one who knew the full reason for her behavior, but I shouldn't have known, so I didn't offer any information.

"Johnny, are you eating here?" Amber asked coming back into the living room in a knee length skirt and untucked blouse.

I shook my head and immediately had to shake it again to get my hair out of my eyes, "no thanks, I uh, I have to get going, bye" I slipped out the door as fast as I could to avoid questions but the boys were distracted anyway.

As I closed the door behind me I saw Amber head into the kitchen and heard Soda mutter to Pony and Darry, "I don't know, the paper boy was over here before, maybe he upset her…"

When I got to work that night I looked around for Kathy but didn't see her. I hadn't known her for more than a few days, but there was something friendly about her brown eyes that I missed that night. I felt heavy with the burden of Amber's sadness and really could have used Kathy's cheerfulness to get me through the night.

"Kid!" Mr. Martin barked causing me to drop the box of frozen hamburger patties I was holding.

"Yes sir?" I asked, turning to face him.

"Go clear off table seven, and keep an eye on the guys at table four, they're getting a little out of control."

"Yes sir," I said again, grabbing my black plastic tub and checking to make sure I still had a towel and wash cloth tucked into my apron, wondering what he could possibly expect me to do to settle down a rowdy table.

As I started to scrape off the plates littered around the table, I let my eyes wander two booths over where several hoods sat talking loudly and swearing louder.

I started when I recognized Tim Shepard slouched against the vinyl seat, another kid in his gang, Joe, was sitting next to him and across from them, with his back against me, sprawled across the seat was Dally, his white-blonde hair falling against the nap of his neck. His tight black t-shirt was stretched across his shoulders and I bent my head lower in hopes that I wouldn't be recognized.

Mr. Martin was right though, they were in a rowdy mood. Tim Shepard was talking crudely about the two girls sitting a few tables away, and it was enough to make me cringe. His friend Joe was laughing loudly and wasn't bothering to hide why. The two girls were exchanging uncomfortable looks. They weren't Socs but they certainly weren't greasers either and they looked both insulted and disgusted.

Dally wasn't saying anything, and as Tim Shepard continued his speech on what he'd like to do with the girls, he slouched lower in his seat and when he turned to glance in their direction, I saw that his jaw was locked, his face cold.

As I started wiping the table I couldn't help but wonder if Amber would still love Dallas if he wasn't so desperately in need of someone's love and affection. I couldn't figure out why she loved him so intensely, why he could make her cry, make her laugh. I wondered if she even knew.

As I finished with the table, I picked up the heavy tub and started in the direction of the kitchen. The two girls were finished and looked reluctant to leave since their path out included walking past Tim. They seemed to reach an agreement and leaving their money on the table, walked as quickly as possible across the diner.

"Hey baby," Tim leered as they neared, and when they ignored him, noses in the air, he leaned over and caught one of their skirts pulling it up.

She screamed loudly and her friend grabbed her hand and dragged her out the door.

I burned red and wished I had the nerve to go over and give Tim a piece of my mind, but he was laughing loudly now with Joe.

I turned my back to them and started to clear off the girls' table as their laughter died down. I assumed the waitress, Macey, must have brought them their food because the next sentence was mumbled, "What the hell is wrong with you tonight?" Tim was asking Dally.

"Nothing, shut your face," Dally returned.

I couldn't help but hope that Tim would provoke him so Dal would punch him like I had wanted to.

"Yeah, it doesn't look like nothing," Tim said "Looks like you got into another fight with your Soc girlfriend."

I glanced over at their table in time to see Dally reach over the table and grab Tim by the shirt collar causing him to drop the handful of fries he was holding. "I told you to shut your face," Dally growled

I had to wonder how dense you had to be to not know to shut up when Dally Winston told you to shut up.

"What? You're always fighting with that broad and she doesn't even put out – what's in it for you?"

Well, no one would ever accuse Tim of being smart, especially Dally who looked livid and close to slugging him.

The bell over the door rang followed by the breeze carried in from outside.

I looked over to the door and dropped the cup of water that I was holding when I saw Amber standing next to Fred, the boy she had dated before me. I couldn't believe Darry had let her out on a Wednesday evening, especially when she hadn't finished her history report; but, then again, since he had told her no to dating Dally he had been going out of his way to try and make her happy again. No doubt her appearance after school today, the red and blotchy face, her obvious sadness, had gotten the best of him.

I glanced over at Dally who was still holding on to Tim, his arm raised to hit him, but whose eyes were focused on Amber and Fred, a sneer on his face.

Tim pulled himself out of Dally's grip, "what the hell!" he yelled pushing Dally back down into his seat.

I was absentmindedly wiping up my spilled water when Mr. Martin came out from the back and yelled at me to hurry up – the night rush was about to begin and I wasn't getting paid to dawdle.

I burned red as everyone turned to look at me, including Dally and Amber.

"Shoot, isn't that your friend?" Joe asked Dally.

I didn't wait to hear his answer, just picked up my plastic tub and walked as quickly into the back as possible.

I dreaded going back out there, but it was getting busy and Macey pushed a tray of drinks into my hands and sent me to three different tables to deliver them.

I was always nervous that I would drop something, or mix up orders, and I tended to sweat when I made a mistake and had to deal with angry customers; and knowing that both Dallas and Amber were out there – that it was likely that this diet coke with a lime on the side was hers, I tried to stutter out an excuse not to go back out onto the floor.

"Doll, I really don't have time for this," Macey said "Now scoot."

I had no choice but to do what she said or I'd be fired so I took the tray and went out onto the floor, keeping my eyes down as I went from table to table depositing drinks.

"Johnny? What are you doing here?" Amber asked as I approached her table.

I had saved her for last and I slid her Coke and Fred's iced tea onto the table, tucking the empty tray under my arm, "I uh, I work here now," I said

I could feel Dally's gaze fall on me and I wondered if she knew he was across the room looking at us.

"Why didn't you tell us?" she asked as Fred shifted in his seat and tried to look like it didn't bother him that I was there. Again, I had to wonder if he knew his bigger problem was sitting a few tables away looking murderous.

"I don't know, I just started yesterday," I said, staring at my feet, "I uh, I have to go."

I backed away quickly and nearly ran into a group of greasers who were waiting for a table, "You gonna clear this off for us or what?" one of them asked, nodding in the direction of an empty booth littered with the remains from the last customers.

I nodded, "Yeah, I'll be right there," I mumbled, instinctively slouching.

The rest of the night passed by in a blur and I barely saw Amber wave goodbye to me, or the look Dallas shot my way before he stalked out of the diner a few minutes after Amber left with Fred.

By the time my shift ended and we closed up, I was so tired I couldn't imagine walking home and considered sleeping on one of the booths if Mr. Martin would let me.

Dragging my feet, I wished not for the first time that Kathy were there to drive me home. Macey was older and had a husband at home waiting for her, I doubt she would even think to offer and I would never be able to bring myself to ask.

As I made it outside into the cool night air, I breathed a sigh of relief before groaning at the amount of homework I had to do before going to sleep.

Deep in my own thoughts I didn't see the person waiting in the parking lot and jumped something awful when a hand fell on my shoulder spinning me around.

Sweat appeared automatically on my brow as I frantically tried to free myself, visions of two similar struggles flashing through my mind.

"Johnny! Cool it, it's just me!"

At the familiar voice I stopped struggling and fell limply into Dally's arms, any pretense of toughness lost.

"Shoot, I'm sorry kid, I wasn't thinking," he said standing me upright again and pulling a cigarette out from behind his ear handing it to me.

My hands were shaking so bad I could scarcely hold on to the darn thing but I somehow got it lit and felt myself returning to normal.

"You ok?" he asked a minute later, having lit a cigarette for himself in the meantime.

I nodded, still feeling a bit shaky, but normal enough not to admit that to Dally.

"So what do you want Dal?" I asked as the silence reached an uncomfortable length

"Didn't feel like hanging out with Shepard tonight, thought you might need a ride home."

It was something he would have done a few months ago, before Amber came into our lives, but it came as a surprise to me now that he would think of it.

"Yeah sure, I could use one," I said following him to his car. He had taken it for granted that I would say yes and was already halfway there before I said anything.

Getting in I thought about the time that Dally had driven Pony and me from the church to get food, how he had yelled that he didn't want me to go to jail and get hard.

Darry was wrong, Dally was able to care. He had always cared about the gang, always been willing to put his neck on the line to keep us out of trouble. He proved that he cared about me when he pulled out of that burning church and he proved today, in his strange way, that he cared about Amber too.

I wondered if she had been able to make him sit down and watch a sunset, if coming from a different side of the tracks, a different lifestyle, if she even thought about sunsets.

I had tried to explain it to her, but I was never good with words like Pony. I even tried to tell her that poem, about staying gold. She had laughed at me and told me my head was in the clouds with Pony's, but still, I think she understood.

I wondered, as I got out of the car and watched him drive off, if she had told Dally.

I hoped she had, and I hoped he listened. I just kept thinking that maybe if she did, maybe if some of her gold could rub off on him, ol' Dally might actually stand a chance against the world he so hated.

Review, please! It'll encourage me to write faster...it really will!!


	7. Six

SIX

SIX

The rest of the week passed slowly but I always felt like I was running to catch up. I didn't work on Friday though and took the time after school to catch up on all of the work I had been neglecting. Now that the gang knew about my job they were all being supportive.

Darry was insisting that I stay on their couch instead of in the lot so I would get a good nights sleep, Two-Bit was always willing to pick me up, and even if it was just to check out the waitresses, I still appreciated it, and both Pony and Amber offered to help me with my schoolwork until Darry overheard them dividing it up and told them he would knock their heads together if I didn't do my own. I appreciated the sentiment though and as we sat across from each other, Amber caught my eye and smiled.

She had a date with Fred that night, he had been picking her up for school and dropping her off after cheerleading practice too. There were a lot of rumors going around school that they were going steady, only Pony and I knew that she was only using him as a distraction, a desperate attempt to get her mind off of Dallas. Maybe Fred knew too, but I doubt he cared much.

I hadn't seen Dally since he drove me home from the Dingo, he hadn't been hanging around much except with Two-Bit and Steve, I could only assume he didn't want to take the chance of running into Amber. We heard from Curly Shepard that he'd been running with Tim, going to Buck's and getting himself into all kinds of trouble. It was typical Dally, and I wasn't much concerned about him.

Amber heard the stories too, and it showed on her face – every day that week she looked more drawn out and tired. Pony told me she hadn't been sleeping much, and that night over dinner, I had watched her push her food around her plate, keeping her head down and staying quiet. Soda tried to fill the silence, but Darry could barely crack a smile after straining his back that day and being told he'd have to take the weekend off and Pony always had trouble being happy when he knew Amber wasn't. Besides, he had missed curfew last weekend and Darry was making him stay in for this one.

In a last ditch effort to save dinner from being a complete disaster, Soda nudged me, "so what are ya'll up to tonight?"

"Johnny and I are staying in," Pony said with a cross look at Darry who returned it with enough malice to make him look away

"I'm going out with Fred," Amber all but mumbled before pushing her chair back and bringing her plate to the sink as the door slammed and Steve let himself in.

"Hey Soda, Darry, kids," Steve said with a mocking glance in mine and Pony's direction,

"hey what are you doing?" he asked running over to Amber who was about to scrape her plate of food into the overflowing garbage can.

Looking disgusted she handed the plate over to him wordlessly and left the kitchen

"What's with her?" Steve asked, sitting down at the table and scraping the bowl of mashed potatoes clean before mixing them with the rest of the food on his plate.

Soda ignored his question and clapped his best buddy on the shoulder, "so what's doin' Steve?"

"Nothing," he said, his mouth full to overflowing, "Just came to see if you wanted to go to the drive-in tonight, Evie's cousin is in town and she's been begging me to set her up with someone, she's a pretty hot broad so I thought I'd give you first opportunity."

Soda looked to Darry who shrugged and got up slowly on account of his back, moving into the living room and sinking down into the beat up arm chair.

"Let me just go grab my jacket," Soda said as he too stood up and moved into the hall, running into Amber who was coming out of the bathroom. Taking her face in his hand he turned it upwards, "Smile honey"

Amber smiled, but it seemed to cost her some great effort and as soon as Soda turned his back to her, her shoulders sagged and she retreated into her room, closing the door behind her.

A few seconds later, Soda came loping back into the living room as Pony and I were clearing the dishes, "Ready Stevie?" he asked poking his head into the kitchen where Steve was shoveling the last of the food into his mouth.

"Yeah, let's go," he said, standing up and leaving his plate on the table for us to clean up.

I didn't miss Pony's scowl in his direction, and I don't think Steve did either, but he chuckled loudly as he joined Soda by the door saying, "man, this is gonna be a night to remember."

"Amber! Fred's here!" Soda yelled as he opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Fred climbing the porch stairs.

Standing aside, he let Fred enter the house, shaking his hand amiably as he passed, "have a good night, Fred. Bye Darry, See ya Pony, Johnny!" he yelled into the kitchen. Pony and I waved from our spot by the sink and a few seconds later the door slammed and the house was quiet.

Fred may not be the smartest kid, but he was smart enough to be scared of Darry who looked menacing even from his sitting position. After a few minutes of awkward silence between them, he turned to us in the kitchen and came in to say hi.

We were in the middle of talking about the latest fight between Jessie McShay and his girlfriend Sharon – a couple where their fights were nearly almost both physical and public, when Amber came in.

To her credit she had fixed herself up so that she no longer held that tired look so obviously on her face, and if I hadn't known better, I might have thought she was excited about her evening.

"Ready to go Fred?" she asked him

He turned and smiled at her, "sure am."

"Bye," she said to me and Pony before making her way over to Darry who fixed Fred with a piercing look when he said, "have her home by eleven."

I was always allowed to have her out until twelve.

Bending over, Amber gave Darry a hug and then they were out the door leaving me and Pony alone in silence.

We finished up the dishes pretty quick and Darry retreated into his room for the night leaving us to our own devices.

"Want to go over to the convenience store and pick up some popcorn and Pepsis?" Pony asked as we began channel surfing in hopes of finding something decent to watch that night.

I lit a cigarette, "sure, so long as it won't bother Darry."

Pony shook his head and pulled a sweatshirt on over his plain black t-shirt, bending over to re-lace his tennis shoes. It looked like he was itching to get out of the house, even if it was only for a few minutes, so I followed him without protest.

It was warmer outside than I had expected and I felt hot under my jacket, but it was a short walk and we were moving fast. Neither of us would forget the night when we didn't walk fast enough and Bob Sheldon died because of it.

We went to the nearest store, one we were lucky to even be allowed in what with how much merchandise Two-Bit usually walked out with under his jacket and headed into the back where they had coolers full of drinks. Piling a few into his arms, Pony turned to head towards the front of the store but smacked into the chest of a tall hood who had been lurking behind him.

"Where do you think you're going little man?" he asked looking down with a look of scorn across his face.

Pony didn't have time to react before Two-Bit appeared from behind the magazine rack, his coat pockets looking bulky, "Leave him alone Jim, that's Darrel Curtis' brother, you don't want to be messing with him."

"What do you know, it is little Ponyboy Curtis," the boy said, straightening Pony's rumpled shirt so that he nearly dropped the bottles he was holding.

Pony's face was a flushed red by now but he managed to recollect himself, "Hey Jim, hey Two-Bit."

Jim Watson was the leader of the Cooper Street Cougars, our gang didn't run with his much, but we saw them during rumbles from time to time. Jim had gone to school with Darry but they'd never really been friends – Jim always thought Darry was a bit of a sell-out even if he was smart enough not to say so to his face. Still, there was respect between the two because there was respect between the gangs. We'd never had a problem with the Cougars, they preferred to concentrate on rolling socs, not greasers and we preferred to stick to ourselves, shoot, we didn't even have a gang name, we were more friends than anything else.

"So what are you boys up to?" Two-Bit asked as he checked the front of the store to make sure no one was watching before he took a pack of gum and slipped it into his jeans pocket. Two-Bit doesn't even chew gum, it's just fun for him to see what he can get away with.

"Nothing…" Pony said as the bell above the door jingled and Dally walked, scoped the place out and then loped over to where we stood, not even pausing before he pushed a kid who looked about twelve out of the way.

"It's about time you made it, Winston," Jim said sarcastically, earning a real mean look from Dally who all but growled at him to shut up.

"Play nice now, guys," Two-Bit said with his normal care-free laugh. "So boys," he said, turning back to me and Pony, "We're off to indulge in a night of drinking, pick up some chicks," he said wrapping an arm around my neck and giving me a noogie until I managed to squirm out of his grasp, "want to come? It'll be good for you."

I opened my mouth to reply but Dally beat me to it, "Come on now Two-Bit, you know King Darrel would never let one of his precious siblings out for a night like that."

Next to me, I felt Pony go rigid and his face hardened uncharacteristically. He may not get along with Darry all the time, but he sure as heck didn't like anyone making fun of him either.

"We gotta get home, maybe next time Two-Bit," I said, looking at Dally only a second before walking to the front of the store, followed by Pony. From the back of the store I could hear Two-Bit ask Dally what he meant by a comment like that, but we didn't stick around to hear the answer and just beat it out of there.

Our walk back was quiet; I could tell Ponyboy was bugged by what had just happened but he didn't say anything until we were approaching his house.

"Johnny?"

"Yeah Pony?" I asked, taking a deep drag of my cigarette and holding the smoke in as long as possible before letting it out again

"Do you think things will ever get back to normal?"

"Shoot Pony, what is normal?"

"I don't know," he said lighting another smoke for himself and staring at the fresh burning embers. I wondered if he thought about the church much, and saving those kids, or about whether they appreciated their second shot at life. I know I did.

Sitting down on the porch stairs he took a drag of the cigarette and looked up at the sky,

"you know I love Amber," he continued, "and I'm so glad to have her here and all, but things have been so crazy since she came. Damn-it Johnny, Dallas Winston, she had to fall for Dallas Winston?"

I could hear the pain in his voice and I was almost afraid to use my own for fear that he would hear the same.

"Things have been changing long before she showed up," I said slowly "even before Bob and the church. I think we both knew the gang wouldn't stay together forever – Darry is going places Pony, we both know that, and Soda is too good for this kind of life. And me and you, we're splitting as soon as we can, ain't we Pony?" I sighed and continued when Pony remained quiet, his eyes fixed on the stars above us, "sure things are a little messed up now, and I hate it too, I hate feeling weird around Dally and having Darry be worried even more than usual, it's just not natural for us. I don't know why Dal is acting so mean to us now, all I can figure is, he really does care about her." I almost choked on those last few words and they finally brought Pony's eyes from the sky to me

"Do you really think he does, that he even can?" he asked me doubtfully.

"Do you remember what you wrote about Dally putting the flames out on your back after pulling us out of the church?" I asked

He nodded, "I couldn't believe he cared or not whether he had killed me."

"Dallas can care, Pony – I would be willing to bet that he would care if he wasn't so afraid of it. Dally didn't grow up with people caring about him like you and Soda and Darry did…" I trailed off

"He told me, when we were going to see you in the hospital after the rumble, when we thought you were dying that when you care you get hurt," Pony said and I could see him remembering that night and an almost understanding enter his eyes

"Believe me Pony, I'm not thrilled with the fact that Amber loves him either," I said with a wry smile "but who knows, maybe she is what he needs, maybe she'll save his life."

"But will it ruin hers?" Pony asked quietly.

"I guess that's what we're here for," I said "to make sure that doesn't happen."

Pony put out his cigarette and stood up, "thanks Johnny."

"Anytime," I said with one last look at the stars before following him into the house.

That night we worked out way through two movies, seven Pepsis, a pack of cigarettes and nearly an entire chocolate cake by the time Amber can home. We could hear her bid farewell to Fred from the open screen door and I tried to keep myself from wondering if she would kiss him goodbye.

A few minutes later she was in the house, and strewn across the armchair Darry had abandoned some hours earlier.

"Ponyboy, pass me a cigarette," she requested.

"Did you have a good night?" he asked, handing her the fresh pack he had just opened and offering her a light.

Inhaling deeply she shrugged, "it was alright, we went to play miniature golf but there were a lot of people from school there and it turned more into a 'whose there with who.' Fred kept trying to act like we were a couple and got mad when I wouldn't kiss him, but I'm not doing anything just to inflate his ego," she ranted.

Pony and I exchanged a look, like maybe we wouldn't have to take care of her after-all if she maintained that attitude. I almost felt sorry for Fred, but not quite.

"So did you two move at all tonight?" she asked, kicking off her shoes and curling up into the armchair so that her skirt rose a few inches revealing more of her slim legs

I quickly readjusted my line of sight back to her face, "neah, we stayed in," I said, I knew neither Pony nor I would want to tell her about running into Dallas and his plans for the night.

"What aren't you telling me?" she asked peering at Ponyboy who really couldn't keep a secret from her if he tried.

He sighed, "we went down to the store and ran into Two-Bit and Dally, they invited us to go out with them to some party…" he said carefully

"Figures, all Dallas knows how to do is get drunk and Two-Bit is no better either," she said scathingly, but with more hurt than anger.

"I'm sure it's not a big deal," Pony offered "probably just Buck's place or something."

"They could be going to church and find a way to get into trouble," she said standing up and putting out her cigarette with far more force than needed.

Amber isn't stupid, she knows what goes on at Buck's place despite Darry's warning that if he ever found she'd been there she'd never see the light of day again, and she'd heard more than enough stories from Two-Bit about his escapades every weekend to be able to put two and two together and know that Dallas wasn't going to be engaging in any game of checkers tonight.

"Amber..."

"I'm going to bed," she said cutting him off and leaving the room before either of us could speak.

A few seconds after her door clicked shut, a muffled scream drifted into the living room causing Pony and me to crack up, Amber could say she didn't care all she wanted, but we knew the truth.

"I guess I'll go to bed too," Pony said "you gonna stay here tonight?"

We both already knew the answer, so he threw a blanket onto the couch for me before saying good night and disappearing. I was pretty sleepy myself from a long week of working and it only took me a few minutes to drop off into a dreamless sleep.

I woke up to the banging of the screen door and waited while my eyes readjusted to the darkness so I could make out the figure stumbling its way across the living room. The clock on the wall read 3:26 which really meant it was 4:26 considering no one ever bothered to switch it ahead for daylight savings. It could only be one of the gang coming in this late and that drunk and I figured it would be Two-Bit who got hollered at for coming in too late and waking his kid sister with his noisy drunkenness.

"Who's there?" they asked and a chill went down my spine when I realized it was Dally.

Sitting up I tried to wipe the sleep from my eyes, "It's me Dal, Johnny."

"Johnny?" he asked coming closer so that I nearly choked on the smell of alcohol and cigarettes.

I nodded, and he put a hand on my shoulder, whether to steady himself or not, I don't know.

"What are you doing here Dal?" I asked

"I gotta talk to the kid," he slurred "I mean Amber, you know who I mean."

"I don't think that's a good idea right now Dal, Darry will skin you alive if he finds you with her, especially right now."

"Aw Darry can go to hell," he said moving clumsily past the couch and toward the hall, "and so can you if you try to stop me."

I sighed, you couldn't argue with Dallas Winston when he was sober, let alone drunk – he wouldn't hesitate to hit you in either condition.

"Ok, Dal," I said sinking back onto the couch.

He disappeared into her room and I waited for the explosion of voices, for Amber to storm out and demand he leave, but I heard nothing and after half an hour of straining to hear anything, I tried to get back to sleep, but found that I couldn't.

I drifted off sometime during the 8:00 news and woke up to the sounds that I had been expecting the night before. Darry had been getting ready to go to the store to buy groceries for the week when he had walked into Amber's room to find Dallas sprawled across her bed dressed only in his boxer shorts. Amber was already dressed and dropped her hairbrush in surprise at the intrusion

"What the hell is going on here?!" Darry roared so loudly that Pony and I both crowded around to see the action.

Dally sat up in bed looking groggy, "Darrel, what are you yelling about?"

Darry's face was clenched with anger which he looked like he was desperately trying to control, "I asked you a question Amber, what the hell is going on here?"

Amber looked to Dally, maybe to see if he was going to explain, finally stand up to Darry and tell him that he wasn't going to take no for an answer, but he didn't say anything.

"Nothing Darry," she said catching Ponyboy's eye "Dallas showed up here drunk last night and needed a place to sleep because Johnny was on the couch, I let him sleep here and I stayed with Pony," she lied flawlessly.

Darry turned around fixing his gaze on Ponyboy who didn't hesitate before saying, "that's true Darry, she slept in my bed last night since Soda stayed at Steve's"

"So what are you doing in here now?" Darry asked, turning back to Amber, his face returning to its normal color.

"I had to get dressed, you can't expect me to spend all day in my pajamas can you?" she asked with just a hint of sarcasm.

"Alright," he said, looking suspicious, but even Darry couldn't argue with that story especially since Dallas still looked drunk and mildly confused. "I'm going to the store, Dallas get up and get dressed. Ponyboy, Amber, do your homework, Johnny you should too if you don't have to work."

"Thanks Dad," Pony mumbled as Darry walked towards the front door. I had to smile, it wasn't unusual for Darry to get carried away and tell everyone in the gang what to do. I didn't mind much, it was nice to have some direction in life.

The screen door slammed and the innocent face disappeared off of Amber's face as soon as she knew Darry was gone.

Bending down she picked up Dallas' jeans off the floor as he got out of bed, "When the fuck are you going to step up?!" she screamed throwing them at him so hard that he stumbled backwards.

Storming past us Pony and I quickly stood to the side as Dallas pulled on his pants and followed, stopping her from leaving through the front door by grabbing her wrist

"What the hell are you yelling for?" he demanded

"Dallas, you may think this is a game, but it's not," she said evenly, jerking her wrist out of his grip, "You can't tell me you hate me one day because it's easier than telling Darry that you don't care what he thinks, and then a few days later stumble into my room blind drunk and tell me you're sorry and that things will be different when you have no intention of changing anything. You're a coward," she spat

"Call me that again," he said menacingly, his bare chest heaving with anger at her words.

"You're a coward, you disgust me," she said again getting more worked up "you can't even apologize without being drunk. If I put a few beers in you and take you to see Darry then will you tell him the truth? So you hate me Dallas, fine, I hate you too!" she screamed "I don't know what I ever saw in a hood like you!"

She was gone before any of us even realized what happened, the screen door slammed shut behind her but she was already halfway to the lot by the time Dallas came to his senses.

"God Damn-it!" he cursed, whirling around and slamming his fist into the wall so hard he broke the plaster and the skin over his knuckles.

I felt myself jump at his violent reaction unsure of what to do or say – Pony looked the way I felt and we both just stood there waiting to see what he would do next.

To my surprise his shoulders sagged slightly and he retreated into Amber's room, reappearing a few minutes later fully dressed, he left without another word.


	8. Seven

SEVEN

SEVEN

I went to work early that day just to get away from the tension that seemed to be taking over the Curtis' house. I felt bad leaving Pony to sit and wait for Amber, or worse yet, to explain to Darry about the hole in the wall, but I felt like I was going to explode if I didn't get away from everyone and everything for a little while. It came as a shock to me to find that going to work seemed like a better option on a Saturday than sticking around to try and get a game going with the gang, or hanging around the lot, or anything that we all used to do together. I guess things really were changing.

I found myself outside the Dingo before I knew it and stood outside for a few minutes to finish my cigarette.

"Hey kid, you preparing for a beauty pageant or something? Get inside!"

I jumped at Mr. Martin's voice and then blushed furiously when I realized I had been smoothing my bangs almost compulsively, using the window in front of me as a mirror. I now found myself hoping against hope that no one inside had seen me; especially Kathy, who I knew had to be there based on the Chevy that was parked closest to the dumpster.

"Sorry sir," I said not at all sure if I was late or not since I've never owned a watch and probably wouldn't wear one if I did.

The bell above the door rang softly as we let ourselves in and Mr. Martin directed me to get my apron on and start putting away the shipment before he disappeared into his office.

It was pretty busy already and I had just unloaded my third carton of frozen hamburger patties when Kathy stormed past holding a plate in one hand, "don't these people have anything better to do on a Saturday than to come here and give me a hard time?" she asked, pushing past me and the boxes so that I almost stumbled into the wide walk-in freezer behind me.

"Sorry kid," she said quickly, "CHRIS! Get over here!" she yelled to the cook who was not only neglecting the grill but was talking on the phone and smoking a cigarette, using his once-white chef's hat to mop the sweat on his face.

"What is it?" he asked gruffly, he was a big guy, and from what Kathy had told me before, an ex-con who was put in the cooler for nearly killing his wife after catching her in bed with another man. According to Kathy he was let out early for good behavior, but I did my best to steer clear of him anyway.

"Did you learn the difference between medium rare and well-done ever in your life?" she asked sarcastically and threw the plate onto the counter before storming out of the kitchen and back out onto the floor.

I tried not to feel slighted by her not stopping to say hi. After-all it was eleven-thirty on a Saturday and the lunch rush was never kind to waitresses. It wasn't too kind on bus-boys either, but I didn't mind it being busy – it made the time go by faster. Before I knew it three hours had gone by and the restaurant was nearly empty.

Kathy was looking frazzled as she went on her break, walking through the backroom where I was busy mopping. My head was bent down as I wrung out the mop and when I came back to eye-level she was watching me with a smile. "You look beat Johnny, I can't tell who looks more wrung out, you or the mop."

I tried to smile, but I was exhausted after my interrupted sleep last night so it came off looking more like a grimace I think because she laughed and opened the side door, "come on, let's have a cigarette."

I cast a look around for Mr. Martin but didn't see him so I abandoned my mop and followed her outside, accepting the cigarette she had waiting.

"So what's going on that's got you looking so worn out?" she asked, her back pressed up against the cool brick. Gosh but it was hot outside, and her question made me even more nervous and I was afraid I would going to start sweating soon. Sweating never looked tough unless it was after a football game, or a rumble, or running from the cops; never from being asked a simple question.

"Johnny?"

I resisted the urge to shrug and took a deep drag instead, "just some problems with my friends," I said as coolly as possible, letting the smoke out slowly and flicking my ashes.

She nodded her head in understanding, "you hang out with the Curtis kids, don't you?"

I looked up in surprise, I sure didn't know who she hung out with and I was a little shocked to find that she knew something about me that I hadn't told her. Then again, she knew all about what happened with Bob, and Ponyboy's picture was in the paper even more than mine, what with that article they ran about him and Soda and Darry and maybe being put in a boy's home and all. At that thought I pushed back the reoccurring feelings of guilt that I had felt when Two-Bit had shown me that article while I was still in the hospital. Pony and Soda having to go to a boy's home and it would be all my fault. I had wanted to die then and there.

"Yeah, I hang out with them," I confirmed

"So what's the problem?" she asked, not in a nosy way, but almost like she really cared and I felt my guard go down a little.

"It's nothing really, it's just…I don't know, I don't think any of us will ever get over...well you know, what happened. I just can't stand this division between greasers and socs, and Darry Curtis never getting his education and Soda having to drop out and Ponyboy and Amber who are so young and already having to go through so much…" I blurted, and then blushed furiously for having said it outloud.

She nodded in understanding but her eyes looked hard, "I used to let it bother me too Johnny, but really, things will never change. Greasers will always be spit on, we'll never get along with the Socials and the sooner you come to realize that, the better off you'll be."

I wanted to ask her what made her hate the socs so much, if they had ever jumped someone she knew or maybe even her. Or if she really did just know the deal, better than me and better than Pony who still hoped for a safe place without the distinction, where people were just people and we'd be treated like everyone else and the phase "the wrong side of the tracks" was just a saying and not an identification for you and your friends.

"You should tell your friends too, Amber Curtis and Dally Winston – I've seen them in here before," she threw her cigarette butt on the ground and rubbed it into the pavement with the toe of her sneaker "a mixture of madras and leather – I don't know who they think they're kidding."

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, "what do you know about them?" I asked and I knew it came out sounding defensive.

"I know Amber is a cheerleader who loves to gossip in between classes in the bathroom, I know that she may be related to the rest of the Curtis', but no one can believe it; and I know Dallas Winston is a hood with a reputation that would make even hardened criminal's hair curl." Her voice was bitter as she continued, "I know that two people that different can never be together and shouldn't even try – if you care about either one of them, you'll tell them."

I felt like she had knocked the wind out of me; not because of her words but because of the hate that entered into her voice and eyes, making her look and sound remarkably like one of the people she was speaking about.

I couldn't argue with what she said, Amber wasn't a greaser, not really, no matter what she said, or did, not matter who she was related to, she just wasn't. And well, Dallas was. But who was to say it couldn't work for them – it was really just Darry that was holding them back, wasn't it?

"Shoot, I'm sorry Johnny, I didn't mean to get your all riled up," she said, her normal voice restored, her eyes now only filled with kindness. "It's just at eighteen you see things different, that's all."

I didn't want to tell her that I was nearing eighteen myself and still couldn't see things clearly – she obviously thought I was younger since I was still in sophomore year. I wondered briefly why if she was in my class before, I had never noticed her until now but dismissed it quickly as Mr. Martin's voice rang through the kitchen

"Shit! The god-damn ice machine broke down again," he cursed, kicking it violently so that it shook and rattled but didn't start running again.

Kathy and I had snuck back into the kitchen as he started to yell at Chris for not telling him that the machine was down before all the ice was melted, "what the hell do you expect me to do for the dinner crowd?!" he yelled.

"Sir, I can go get you ice from the DX," Kathy offered "just lend me Johnny to help me carry it and we'll be back in time in plenty of time."

"Fine," he barked, "kid, move the mop bucket before some trips and breaks their neck, I don't need a lawsuit," he ordered as he left the kitchen.

I moved the bucket outside and followed him and Kathy out the door, where he was handing her some money out of the register, "and hurry the hell up," he added before storming back into his office and slamming the door so hard the few customers in the place looked around as if unsure of what had just happened.

"So how do you know so much about my friends?" I asked once we were in her car and on the road.

"What can I say, I'm a people-watcher. Besides, it's kind of hard not to know something about Amber, she's made quite the splash since she arrived in Tulsa hasn't she?" Kathy asked looking at me as she came to a screeching halt at a red light.

"I guess that would be putting it nicely," I agreed, hoping it didn't sound like a betrayal to my friendship with her.

Kathy laughed, "you still like her, don't you kid?"

"What does it matter, I'm a greaser, she's not – it wouldn't work, right?" I said

"Shoot kid, I didn't mean you when I was talking back there, you're different. You may be a greaser by birth, but you don't got it in you – you know the best way to tell a greaser from someone who only acts the part? Think about them with money – with money, you wouldn't have been a greaser. Dallas Winston though – he loves the life he lives, he would be a disgrace to society no matter what. He's a greaser through and through."

I thought about that a second, if the Curtis' had money they certainly wouldn't be where they are now, working double jobs, dropping out of school, getting into rumbles. Darry would be in college, where he belonged. Soda would have the chance to do whatever he wanted, he'd probably be famous or something. And Ponyboy, he definitely would be heading away to school in a few years. The rest of the gang though, I just didn't know. I felt like I didn't know much at all about the gang anymore. We were falling apart at the seams.

"Isn't the DX straight ahead?" I asked as the light turned green and Kathy took a sharp left instead of following Main Street down to the gas station.

"Yeah, I gotta make a stop first though," she said as we careened down the narrow residential road, Kathy sure knew how to scare you when she drove.

Pulling to a stop in front of a large apartment building she opened the door, "want to stay here, or come in?"

"I'll come," I said unsure of how long she would leave me waiting in the car if I didn't.

"Do you live here?" I asked as she let us into the building and into the stairwell.

"Yeah, I always like to stop at home during my breaks," she said as we climbed the stairs up to the fifth floor. I couldn't imagine ever wanting to go back to my house ever, let alone on my break from work, but I kept my mouth shut since we were now in a narrow hall with an avocado colored carpet and yellow walls and I was starting to feel queasy from the combination of colors and the smell of wet dog that seemed to saturate the hallway.

"This is me," she said coming to a stop outside of number 22b and fumbling with her keys, from inside I could hear a baby crying loudly followed by a crash.

Before Kathy could get her key in the lock the door was jerked open and a woman with an old housedress and an apron on stood holding the baby, "For god's sake Kathy, get in here and take him off my hands for a minute. Your brother is drunk again, just broke my best vase…"

"Was just trying to help," a man who looked to be in his early thirties said, scratching at the stubble that covered his face.

Kathy looked at me apologetically as she bounced the baby up and down on her hip to try and quiet his screams. His little fists were flailing and tears were rolling down his pudgy, screwed-up face, and he smelled horribly.

Kathy seemed to notice because she brought him over to a little table and changed his diaper before putting a pacifier in his mouth and picking him up again.

"Johnny, this is Zachary, my son."

I don't know whose baby I thought it was, but I was shocked to find out it was hers. I knew girls my age got pregnant; Sandy was enough of an example of that, but I couldn't see Kathy getting into that kind of trouble.

"How old is he?" I asked, I was lousy at telling people's ages, especially babies.

"One and a half this June," she said as the baby's tears finally came to a stop. I wasn't too good at math, but I figured that meant she got pregnant when she was only sixteen. Maybe Darry did have a reason to worry about Amber.

"Can you hold him for a minute, I'm going to go to the bathroom and then we can get going," she requested.

"I don't…" I started to protest but the baby was already in my arms, squirming and heavy, not at all like anything I'd ever held before.

Kathy disappeared and I could hear her mother yelling at both her and her brother before Kathy yelled at her to cool is and slammed what I imagined to be the bathroom door. I hadn't moved from the kitchen where we'd come in, but from what I could see the apartment was small, and very dark.

I jiggled the baby like I'd seen Kathy doing, but I could already see his fists start to clench and his eyes welled up as I braced myself for the outburst, but it never came and instead the baby burped.

I hadn't realized that my eyes were closed until I heard Kathy laughing at me, "calm down Johnny, he's a baby, not a time bomb."

I opened my eyes and looked down at the baby whose pacifier had fallen out of his mouth, he was grinning a toothless smile and drool was making its way down the side of his chin towards my shirt.

"Um, here," I said handing the baby over to Kathy as quickly as possible.

"Ma! I'm leaving!" she yelled, laying the baby down into a crib.

"Fine, but don't be late tonight Kathy, I have things to do you know!" her mother said, reappearing at the kitchen doorway, a kerchief now tied over her hair and a duster in one hand.

"Sure thing Ma, I'll come right home," she promised as she opened the door and ushered me out into the hallway.

"Sorry about that," she said again once we were back in the stairwell

I just nodded, grateful for the fresh air when it came. Things really were bad all over. At least all over our side of town.

We made it back to work without Mr. Martin realizing how long we were gone and finished out our shift, both of us grateful we didn't have to work the night shift since the place would be crawling with kids going to and coming from the nightly double.

"Come on, I'll drop you off at home," Kathy said as we were leaving that night around six.

"Don't you have to go right home?" I asked "I don't what your mom getting hacked off at you."

"Don't worry about it," she said with a smile that convinced me to climb into the car next to her.

"Where to?" she asked.

I thought about my options, Pony was still grounded and Darry was sure to be in a foul mood upon discovery of the hole in the wall, who knew what Soda and the rest of the gang was up to. And Amber…well you never knew what you were going to get with her these days. Still it had to beat my house, I hadn't seen my mother in a few days and I'm sure we both preferred it that way.

"Can you drop me at the Curtis'?" I asked

"Sure," she said "just remember what I said, 'eh?"

I nodded as we peeled down the road, driving in silence the rest of the way there until I had to direct her down the side streets to the Curtis house.

"Thanks Kathy," I said as I got out of the car, "have a good night."

"You too Johnny," she said letting her eyes flicker up the stairs to the brightly lit Curtis house. The screen door was open and you could hear the music inside from the street.

"You wouldn't want to come in, would you?" I asked, afraid I had misinterpreted her look as one of longing when it really wasn't.

"No, you heard my mother, I better get home. Maybe next time though," she said and with a half-hearted smile, she was gone.

Inside the Curtis house, the mood was surprisingly light. Everyone was there, even Dally, who was still sprawled out on a kitchen chair watching Amber do the dishes. She had taken to wearing jeans and one of her brother's button down shirts on the weekends since she really didn't have that many clothes of her own and she told me once that she would rather shoot herself than ask Darry for the money to get any more. I knew she was trying to keep what she had in good shape, but her brother's were suffering for it since their clothes were now prone to go missing. Today she was wearing one of Soda's which was so long it fell almost to her knees. It was striped in white and blue and was rolled up to her elbows as she scrubbed the pans in the sink with an intensity that made her ponytail shake with every inch she moved. Gosh she looked cute though. I guess Dally thought the same because he didn't notice me come into the kitchen.

The rest of the gang had greeted me same as always, scattered around the living room surrounded by cake, booze and some smokes – a sure sign that it was going to be a night in.

Like I had said, the music was so loud it was hard to hear, but Darry waved me into the kitchen and told me that there was left-over dinner if I wanted some. It always surprised me how they could have so little, yet still be so generous. Darry never seemed to mind if the gang ate over, as long as Soda, Pony and Amber were given the chance to eat first.

"Hey guys," I said startling both of them.

Amber turned from the sink, her hands covered in soap suds, "Hi Johnny, I left a plate for you in the refrigerator, bring it over and I'll heat it up in the oven for you."

I did as she requested and joined Dally at the table. He was still picking at the food on his plate, but I figured it was more of an excuse to stay in the kitchen than a lack of appetite. His right hand was bandaged so he was stabbing clumsily at the string beans that littered his plate with his left hand.

"Hey Dal, how was your day?" I asked even though it seemed odd being that the last time I had seen him his fist was going through a wall.

He gave me one of his rare, but funny grins and just shook his head, "the pits, man."

"Dallas, are you done yet?" Amber asked as she wiped off her hands and came over to the table.

I couldn't tell where they were at, it was like they were being polite to each other, I think Ponyboy would call it cordial, but almost too polite, and I felt like I missed something important in the few hours I was at work.

He didn't answer her and continued stabbing at the green beans, which kept rolling out from under the fork. I would normally have expected him to blow up at this, curse his hand, throw the plate, make a scene, but he stayed calm and quiet until Amber rolled her eyes.

"For god's sake, give me that," she said pulling the fork out of his hand and gathering the remaining beans on the end of the fork before giving it back to him.

I had to choke back a laugh at the idea of Dallas Winston being fed, it was funny, but not funny enough to get belted over.

Picking up Dallas' now empty plate she moved back across the kitchen and returned to the table with a full plate which she put in front of me. "Just throw the plate in the sink when you're done Johnny, I'll take care of it later," she said "but why don't you eat out in the living room so you're not alone in here."

I nodded and followed her into the living room, noticing that Dally didn't follow us until a few minutes after Ponyboy had moved down the couch to make room for me to sit.

Amber was sitting on the arm of Darry's armchair, watching the game of poker going on. She didn't look up when Dally came into the room and grabbed one of the chairs around the card table.

Chewing the meatloaf Amber had given me I looked up at Pony who shrugged, "they came back together like an hour after you left this morning," he said in a low voice so that I could barely hear him.

"What about the wall?" I asked

"He told Darry he did it, didn't say why though. He even offered to pay for it."

I felt my eye brows raise into my bangs, Dally Winston never offered to pay for anything. After Two-Bit he was next best at getting the five-fingered discount.

"So they're ok?" I asked looking over to Amber who was still watching the game and not Dally. Dally was talking to Steve but his eyes were betraying him as they flickered across the table more than once in the minute or so I was watching them.

Pony shook his head, "Amber said she's still mad at him, but she also said that she would rather have him around and be mad at him, than not have him around at all. Johnny, man, this is getting serious."

I thought back to what Kathy had said and wondered if she was right. I would have to agree with her in general, but this was different. No matter what anyone said, Amber and Dally loved each other, and one day they would admit it to each other, and to Darry. But that didn't mean everything would be ok, love couldn't solve everything – plenty of greasers fell in love but it didn't change their position in life, it didn't put food on the table or your kids through school, it couldn't save your life.

"Hey Johnny-cake, you feelin' ok? You're looking a little green over there little man," Soda said "I didn't even do the cooking, so it can't be that bad."

I smiled the best I could, but felt myself blushing, what would the gang think if they knew what I was thinking. Johnny Cade having all these deep thoughts.

"You know, it's such a nice night – we should all go out like we used to," Two-Bit said suddenly, "even you Superman," he added ribbing Darry in the side until Darry wrapped him in a head-lock and a full-on wrestling match broke out.

Pinning Two-Bit easily Darry grinned down from on top of him, "what'd you have in mind, Keith?"

Trying to get out from under his grip, Two-Bit only succeeded in grabbing hold of the table so that the cards went flying everywhere as the table wobbled, but didn't fall.

Crying uncle Two-Bit's flailing body came to a rest, "night time basketball at the park?"

Darry made to consider it and then nodded as he stood up, extending a hand to help him up, "sounds good."

A few minutes later we were all on our way to the town park. Steve and Soda were throwing the beaten basketball back and forth between them as they ran down the sidewalk, the rest of us were taking a slower approach, smoking cigarettes and watching the two boys in front of us goof off.

"Hey Johnny! Think fast!" Soda said as the ball came careening toward me. I caught it with only a little bit of a fumble and grinned, shoot – things were going to be just fine.


	9. Eight

EIGHT

EIGHT

That night in the town park was one of the best we'd had in a long time. The sun was just setting as we made our way there – it was farther out of the way than the local park, but none of us was too keen on going back there, especially me and Pony, so we took the walk.

It was dark by the time we arrived, but the town kept the lights on all night over the court. We were happy to see that it was empty and quickly split up into teams – Darry, Two-Bit, Pony and Amber against Steve, Soda, me and Dally. We were reasonably well-matched since Darry was by far the best athlete amongst us, and Amber the worst. Even Dally, who refused to admit to liking sports was capable of catching, passing and getting the ball into the basket on occasion. Amber was awful and it didn't take long for her team to stop trying to throw her the ball since all the times they had tried she had missed by a mile.

I think Darry noticed that she was occupying her free time on the court by staring at Dally who had for once taken off his leather coat, throwing it with the rest of our jackets on the bench by the court because he called time out and called her over.

Soda called his own conference and we met in a sweaty huddle, "alright so were only trailing them by three baskets guys, I'll cover Darry, Dal cover Pony, Steve cover Two-Bit and Johnny…you'll be our secret weapon."

"Secret weapon?" I asked hesitantly

"Sure, Johnny Cake," Soda said "act like you're blocking Amber, whoever gets the ball will pass to you and you sink the basket."

He made it sound so simple, but I was still worried – I definitely wasn't the best player out there, but shoot, this was only the gang, not the Olympics, so I just smiled with a nod as we spread out across the court.

"Hey Johnny," Amber said with a grin as I came up to her "don't tell me your team actually thinks I'm worth covering."

I shrugged, "apparently Soda has a lot of faith in you."

"Apparently Darry wants to put me to good use, he told me to cover you too," she said, smiling again and hopping from foot to foot

"You're going to have to be a lot faster than that if you want to cover me," I said with a laugh as the game commenced with Two-Bit charging down the court, Steve hot on his heels.

"Hey look at that babe!" Steve yelled coming to grinding halt followed only seconds later by Two-Bit who spun around to look in the direction Steve was pointing.

"Just kidding!" Steve yelled snatching the ball from him and running down to the opposite end of the court.

I quit laughing at Two-Bit and with a quick grin at Amber, sprinted to the left as Steve sent the ball sailing my way. The ball brushed my fingertips and I flexed my knees, ready to jump and shoot but ended up on my back instead with Amber sitting on top of me.

"You tackled me!" I gasped out, more out of surprise than anything else. I was also having a hard time concentrating with her being on top of me the way she was.

"I'm sorry Johnny! You aren't hurt are you?" she asked, her green eyes filled with worry.

I was coming to my senses enough now to realize that the rest of the gang was laughing, "No, I'm not hurt." I said even though my right wrist was throbbing, "but your knee is in my side."

"Sorry!" she yelped, scrambling off of me and brushing herself off as Soda offered me a hand up.

"Amber," Darry said in his responsible voice, "this is basketball, not football – tackling isn't necessary or appropriate, you could have really hurt him."

"I'm sorry Darry, you told me to make sure he didn't make a basket!" she said with the innocent smile she usually reserved for him when she was in trouble.

"Well kid, I guess that didn't work out like we planned," Soda said with another laugh, "who knew Amber could…"

"Lick me good?" I finished with a wry smile massaging my wrist

"Don't worry Johnny, we won't tell anyone," Pony said with a grin, slinging an arm around Amber who leaned against him smoking a cigarette she had taken from Two-Bit who was still slightly baffled at Steve's distraction tactic.

"Let me get this straight," he said as we retreated to the sidelines stretching out on the grass and across the bench, "there wasn't any hot babe?"

"Sorry Two-Bit," Steve snickered.

"Y'all are mean," he said good naturedly as the distant sound of a bell chiming in a repetitious pattern interrupted our conversation and made Two-Bit's left eye-brow shoot up as he met Soda and Pony's gaze.

"Ice-cream truck!" they yelled together scrambling to their feet followed by Steve and Amber who were scouting out which direction it was coming from as Soda and Pony turned to Darry who was already on his feet sighing expectantly as he pulled out his wallet and handed them a five dollar bill.

"Come on, he's down the street," Two-Bit said as he took off running. The rest of us followed, except for Darry who considered himself too old and Dally who considered himself too cool for the ice cream truck.

We walked back slowly a few minutes later, laughing at how Two-Bit had almost lost his hand trying to steal an ice cream cone out of the freezer of the truck as the vendor, a kid a few years older than me who was stoned out of his mind, slammed the lid down. Two-Bit had just escaped with all of his fingers.

"Here Darry, we got you a popsicle," Pony said handing him his change and the orange paper-wrapped ice cream.

"Thanks kiddo," he said unwrapping it slowly and jamming the paper into his pocket despite the fact that the rest of the park was littered with trash. That's Darry for you though.

"This was a good idea Two-Bit," Pony said a few minutes later as we were walking home through the darkened street.

I was walking behind Darry, Steve, Two-Bit and Soda with the rest of the gang, "why thank you," Two-Bit said turning around to face us so he was walking backwards.

"Hey, can I have a bite?" Dally asked switching sides so he was walking next to Amber who was still working her way through her strawberry ice cream cone.

She looked up at him with an amused expression, after all, it was a strange thing to hear a hood asking for a bite of ice cream, or see a bunch of hoods running down the road after the truck with no intent to steal it – but then again, we were a different kind of gang than most in this area.

"You can have the rest," she said handing it to him and turning her attention back to Two-Bit who was still facing us and giving an account of some friend of a friend of a cousin who did something or another – so many of Two-Bits stories were so in-depth it was hard to follow along.

"Two-Bit, look out!" Amber yelled as Darry, Steve and Soda came to a sudden halt as their path was suddenly blocked by a pack of socs. Two-Bit whirled around but not in time to stop himself from colliding with a tall boy who looked to be in his early twenties.

"Still hanging out with the usual riff-raff I see, Darrel," the boy said slowly sizing up Two-Bit who had taken a step back and fixed a mean look on his face. I felt myself slouch involuntarily and I knew I had a pretty mean face on too – the whole gang did.

"Who are you calling riff-raff Dean?" Darry asked real slow and mean – he was bracing for a fight and the whole gang was tensing up. It's strange, right before a fight all your senses go into overdrive. Things just become clearer and louder and you're more aware of your surroundings.

They had us outnumbered, nine socs to the seven of us, and they were big, athletic socs too. Dean had gone to school with Darry – I recognized him as one of the athletes in Darry's year and some of the others too. The rest were younger and behind them I noticed that there were a few socy girls standing there looking unimpressed.

I had zoned out of their exchange and was observing the gang instead. Darry's jaw was tightly clenched, his T-shirt tight across his broad muscles. Two-Bit's hand was in his left pocket and I knew he was fingering his black-handled switchblade getting ready to pull it out when needed, and Steve and Soda were looking at each other with twin grins – gosh they loved fighting if for no other reason than the adrenaline rush. Pony was looking sick and he gave me a look that said what I felt – please don't let this start again. I looked to my left and saw that Dally wasn't prepping for a fight, not the way he normally would anyway, he had drawn Amber close to him protectively, but she just looked bewildered at what was happening.

"Darry, let's just go home," she said stepping forward and touching his arm.

"Who's this Curtis?" Dean sneered, "your wife?"

"What are you trying to prove here Dean? If you need me to whip you like I did in high school I will, but leave my friends out of it," Darry said pushing Amber back "we don't need a rumble here and now."

"You know what Darrel, I think you're wrong. See my boys and I were looking for a little action, and kicking the shit out of you and your pathetic low-life friends sounds like fun, doesn't it boys?"

A roar went up behind him as they started to shed their jackets and throw them to the girls behind them, rolling their sleeves and sipping casually from a few flasks that were floating through the crowd.

"Don't you think y'all are a bit dressed up to get into a fight, I'd hate to have your mummy's yell at you when you get home," Two-Bit drawled.

"Shut up greaser," one of them spat

"Amber," Darry called behind him, not once breaking his eye contact with Dean, "get away from here."

"Darry…" she started

"Now, Amber, get the hell away from the road."

She looked at me and Pony then, real scared – Pony nodded at her reassuringly and she backed away, her hand brushing Dally's as she made eye contact with him – begged him silently to go with her.

"Get away from here," he said roughly and shoved her toward the grassy hill on our left.

You could feel the built up energy rushing through all of us but all I felt was dread and fear and the hope that something, someone, would come along and keep this fight from happening.

That hope only lasted a split second before Dean threw the first punch and all hell broke loose as the socs ran forward and I found myself confronted with a boy who looked to be around eighteen, he was tall but I was pretty sure I could take him since I am pretty sturdy for my size.

I wrapped my arms around him pretty quick and did my best to get him down to the ground. Once you're fighting on the ground height doesn't really matter anymore, it's more about strength. He went down easily enough and as we scuffled around in the dirt he threw a punch that felt like it knocked some of my teeth loose, but I squirmed out of his grip and landed some punches of my own.

It's always hard to know what's going on in a rumble, who's ok and who's hurt and who's winning or losing. It always comes as a surprise to me at the end. From my spot I could see Ponyboy whaling on the boy underneath him who was desperately trying to stop him by keeping his hands wrapped around Pony's neck. It was the second time I'd seen a soc trying to strangle my best friend and a small part of me went crazy then and I felt that old feeling of blind rage that I used to get during a rumble before Bob and the church and those kids.

The soc I was fighting went still underneath my flailing fists and blind rage was replaced by sheer terror until I saw his chest rise and fall and I was reassured he wasn't dead. I staggered away from him and over to Ponyboy, kicking his soc in the side until he let go of his grip on Pony's neck.

Looking across the road to see if anyone else in the gang needed help, my eyes landed on Amber who was still on the hill where Darry told her to go, but she was facing off against one of the socy girls, screaming something I couldn't quite hear – I'd never seen her look so angry, not even at Dallas.

"Amber! No!" I yelled as she prepared to lunge at the girl in front of her.

Turning to look at me, she lost the element of surprise and instead was hit by the girl in front of her.

I groaned as they started rolling around but it looked like they were just pulling each other's hair. Still, I figured I might as well go over there and break things up, I had no idea if Amber could fight, but I reckoned none of her brothers wanted to find out.

"Johnny, look…" Ponyboy gasped as the boy he was fighting rolled over and grabbed my ankle knocking me off balance so that I fell down next to the two struggling boys – I'm not sure if he had a death wish or a second wind, but he was trying to take on both of us and Pony and I grinned at each other – he didn't stand a chance.

A few minutes later the boy was scrambling to get up, I gasped in pain as he stepped on my already throbbing wrist in his desperate attempt to get out of there.

"Johnny, are you ok?!" Pony asked me scrambling through the dirt to come by my side.

I sat up holding my wrist, "I don't know if it's broken," I said as my eyes searched frantically for Amber. I couldn't find her on the hill but my eyes traveled down to the road a few feet away and spotted her on the ground, still kicking and clawing at the girl on top of her – the other two socs had joined in too though and Amber was looking pretty roughed up.

"Pony," I said pointing with my good arm "we need to help Amber."

Jumping to his feet Pony pulled me up and we rushed over, but we were beaten by Dally who shamelessly pulled each girl off of Amber and threw her to the side. The distraction had given Amber the advantage and she was now on top of the soc who had originally hit her looking murderous.

"You stupid bitch! Don't you ever talk about my brothers again," she was screaming, her voice hoarse which made me think she had been yelling the whole time.

"Amber! Let go!" Dally yelled grabbing her around the waist and pulling her off the other girl

"Let me go!" Amber screamed trying to break free of Dally's grip, her arms still outstretched toward the girl lying on the ground.

It was a strange sight to see, and it might have been funny if her face wasn't bruised and dripping blood.

"Amber, calm down," Pony said being the brave one and stepping in front of her

"That bitch said…"

"I don't care what she said, calm down," Pony said as the girls Dallas had tossed aside came to the aid of the remaining girl, helping her up they scrambled around to pick up the scattered jackets they had abandoned when their fight broke out.

All around us the fight was breaking up – the socs were running. We had beat them even though we were outnumbered. Two-Bit was yelling joyfully and Steve and Soda were whooping loudly holding each other's arms as they danced around in a circle.

Amber had finally come to a rest, but she turned on Dallas so quick I don't think any of us were expecting it.

"Why the hell did you have to do that, I was fine!" she yelled

"Please," he scoffed "you were getting your ass kicked in there."

"Amber!" Darry said as he ran over to us, "are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Darry," she said, but he wasn't listening.

"Dallas, what the hell happened to her?" he demanded as he wiped the blood off his split lip. Aside from that and a faint bruise on his cheek, he didn't look at all roughed up.

"Looks like she got beat up to me," he said relinquishing any contact he had with her, his voice going cold before he stalked off looking angry.

"I'm fine," she said again tearing her eyes away from Dally's retreating back and turning her gaze back on her brothers.

He gave her a real skeptical look, "we have to get you home and cleaned up, you're a mess," he said, but he seemed satisfied that she was up and moving and was obviously as ornery as usual.

"Pony you're alright?" he asked turning to face his youngest brother.

"Yeah, Johnny's wrist needs to be looked at though," he said

"Jeez Johnny, its swelling up pretty badly, come on," Darry said, sounding tired and not at all happy like the rest of the gang, still celebrating in the middle of the road.

"Amber, are you ok honey?" Soda asked as we approached them.

"I'm fine," she said yet again, but turned to me and Pony who were still standing next to her, "how bad do I look?" she asked

Pony grimaced, "pretty bad, just wait until the rush of the fight wears off, you'll feel it."

"Don't worry about it darlin' you'll be alright," Soda said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He had a black eye and his knuckles were busted up pretty bad, but Soda looked just like he usually did after a fight – elated.

"Shoot kid, you didn't do too bad for yourself," Steve said to Pony who was nursing several cuts on his face.

Pony looked up at him in surprise, I didn't blame him – Steve didn't hand out compliments too often, unless it was to a cute girl or himself. "Yeah, you know, you're actually conscious this time, figure that's got to be an improvement," he said casually, examining his own busted knuckled, wrapping them in the bottom of his shirt to try and stop the blood flow.

"Thanks Steve," Pony said, rolling his eyes at me with a lopsided grin.

We finally made it back to the house, where Darry brought out the iodine and sent us all to wash our faces and hands and anything else that was skinned and bleeding.

"Kid, it's a shame it's not Halloween because you look terrifying," Two-Bit said to Amber as she sat waiting for Darry, trying to untangle her curly long hair which was as much in disarray as the rest of her.

She had already changed into one of Ponyboy's track t-shirts and a pair of sweat pants, her knees drawn up to her chest as she sat on one of the kitchen chairs. "Thanks Two-Bit, be a pal and get me Tylenol," she requested.

She was sitting across from me as my arm was pinned under a load of ice to try and get the swelling down. Darry didn't think it was broken, just a bad sprain and I wanted to avoid the hospital if I could at all – my mother's health insurance had dropped us after the accident, we still owed a bundle in debt for all the work they did on my back and all.

"Here," Dally said a few minutes later handing her a few pills

She looked up at him before accepting them, "where's Two-Bit?"

"Darry cornered him," he said with a glance toward the living room, a smile briefly crossing his face as a loud howl drifted into the kitchen followed by a "that stings!"

Reaching to accept the pills Dally was offering, she let her hand stay in his for a second, "thank you, by the way, for helping me."

Dally nodded and emptied the pills into her hand, using his bandaged hand to stroke her hair as he walked to refrigerator to get a beer.

"Hey Dal, how'd you fight with a busted hand?" I asked just realizing that he'd had the disability of already having one hand damaged from earlier that day.

"Kid, you only need one good fist to fight," he said using the edge of the counter to open his beer, and then taking a long drink.

"You're still bleeding," Amber said "over your eyebrow"

He reached up and looked surprised when his hand came back smeared in red, "I thought I felt that god-damn broad slice me with something."

Amber flushed pink under the purple bruises covering her swollen and cut up face, "she had a ring on the shape of a rose, the petals were sharp. Classy huh?"

"Alright Amber," Darry said coming into the kitchen causing her to look away from Dally hastily "you're next."

"Take care of Dally first," she said "it was my fault he got cut anyway."

"I don't need any help," Dally growled, sounding mean as a lion, or a bear, or some other animal that would rather rip your head off than let you near them.

"What do you mean your fault?" Darry asked

"I mean, I wasn't going to last much longer getting slapped around by three girls at once, and he came and got them off of me, and then got yelled at by you for no reason, if you so recall," she said a bit sarcastically, and I got the distinct feeling that she was mad at Darry for something.

"Dallas, that's true?"

Dally jerked his head in a non-committal sort of way, "no big deal."

Darry walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder the way he did to Soda or to Pony, "it is a big deal, thank you for watching out for her."

Dally just nodded and took another long drink from his beer as Darry went back to the table to retrieve the iodine and bits of cloth he was using to clean everyone up.

"You're not using that stuff on me," Dally protested

"You're bleeding Dallas," Darry said

"So I was informed," he returned dryly, "but you're not coming near me with that stuff," he said again, and as if to punctuate his point, he stalked out of the kitchen.

Darry sighed, "alright Amber, try to hold still," he said as he soaked the cloth and started to dab at the numerous cuts across her face.

"Ponyboy!" she called as Darry re-wet the cloth

"What is it Amber?" Pony asked as he came into the kitchen and grimaced yet again at the sight of her face.

Beckoning him to come sit in the chair next to her, she took his hand in hers and gripped it tightly as Darry started rubbing the iodine onto her cuts again. Tears were clouded around her eyes and it looked like she was trying her hardest to keep them from spilling over.

"I know it stings honey," Darry said "but honestly, what did you expect, trying to fight three girls at one time?"

"I didn't want to fight any of them," Amber said defensively "I wasn't the one who wanted to fight, remember, I asked if we could just go home. You wanted to fight, if this is anyone's fault, it's yours," she said, jerking her head away from his reach as he hit a particularly sensitive spot just above her left eye, a cut that was still bleeding and probably required stitches.

"What did you want me to do Amber? If we had tried to walk past, they would have just followed us and made trouble all night. You can't reason with the socs with anything except your fists," Darry said

"I just don't understand," Amber said looking between Darry, Pony and me, "I don't understand at all – what do they want from us?"

"I don't have the answer for you Amber, I wish I did," Darry said sounding worn out, "it's just the way it is."

"Fine, but if that's the way it is, don't expect me to sit on the sidelines, if the socs want to fight us, then they'll fight all of us," she said picking up the abandoned cloth and handing it back to Darry.

"Amber, no offense, but…you stink at fighting," Ponyboy said as Darry soaked the cloth in iodine and began cleaning her face again.

"Then she'll just have to learn," Darry said causing me and Pony to look at him in surprise.

"Darry, you can't be serious," Ponyboy said, "you see what happened to her today, just from girls."

"She was outnumbered," Darry said evenly "and this," he said indicating to the face in front of him, "is all the more reason she needs to learn."

"Could you guys stop talking about me like I'm not even here?" Amber asked "I agree with Darry, I need to learn, you guys won't always be there to save me."

"Well we'll sure as hell try to be," Darry said with a smile "but just in case, we will teach you how to fight, as long as you want to."

She nodded, "I want to, I hurt something awful right now, I don't want to go through this again."

Darry nodded as he stuck a band-aid over the cut above her eye, "why don't you go try to get some sleep."

Amber nodded and stood up finally letting go of Ponyboy's hand which he massaged instantly – even across the table I could see it was littered with crescents from where Amber's nails had been digging into it.

"Good night Darry," she said giving him a hug which he returned gently "goodnight Pony, night Johnny."

She moved into the living room and towards her room slowly, I knew her muscles must be tightening up, the bruises starting to ache. She stopped in front of Dally and checking to make sure Darry wasn't watching, reached up and kissed him before disappearing into her room.

The rest of the gang was so involved in the movie they were watching I don't think any of them noticed, but Pony and I exchanged a look that made it clear that we had both seen. And Dal, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself, but Dally looked flustered, running his hand through his white-blonde hair he looked towards the kitchen almost like he was going to come in and I wondered if he might actually come and tell Darry the truth.

Pausing at the kitchen doorway, Dally cleared his throat but didn't make a move to come in.

"What is it Dally?" Darry asked as he started putting together the ingredients to make a chocolate cake for the morning.

"Uh…nothing, just wanted to see if the kid needed a ride home," he said

I assumed he meant me, so I looked at Darry, "what do you think?" I asked looking down at my wrist.

He came over, wiping the flour off his hands on the way and took the ice off my arm, "it looks like the swelling has gone down. How does it feel?"

"Cold," I said honestly, examining my arm which was bright red and freezing to the touch.

Darry laughed, "you're ok Johnny. You can go home if you want, or you can stay here, whatever you like."

"Shoot, I haven't been home in awhile, I guess I might as well stop in," I said "looks like it'll be a fight for the couch anyway."

Darry nodded, "alright, we'll see you guys tomorrow," he said as he turned back to his cake, "don't use that wrist too much Johnnycake, it still needs to heal."

I nodded, "thanks Darry."

As Dally and I left the house I couldn't help but think that a busted wrist was worth the whole gang getting along like we did tonight, and it was definitely worth seeing Dally Winston start acting like a human with real emotions. Like it or not, I found myself hoping for Dally and Amber to make it, if for no other reason than to prove to the world that they could.


	10. Nine

NINE

NINE

When I woke up the next morning my arm was so stiff and hurt so bad I knew there was no way I would be able to use it anytime soon. It didn't feel like it was broken though, so I rolled off my bed and took a tentative look out into the hallway to make sure my mom wasn't around, before making my way through the cluttered hall into the bathroom. Looking at my reflection in the cracked and dirty mirror, I was glad I couldn't see myself clearly, I could tell I looked awful.

Pulling open the medicine cabinet, I searched the near empty shelves, occupied only by a bottle of my mother's anti-depressant pills and a half a tube of old toothpaste lying beside a handful of old cotton swabs, I don't know why I thought I'd be able to find Tylenol in there, I'd have to go to the Curtis', but one look at my wrist and Darry would send me straight to the hospital and Amber would give me that sad pitying look. I could barely stand the thought of looking at her anyhow, I could only imagine the pain she must be in this morning.

I realized that I had been absent-mindedly fingering the scar that ran down the side of my own face, another reminder of how far fighting…or not having the chance to fight back, would get you.

My wrist gave another painful throb and I sighed, there was no avoiding it, I had to let Darry have a look at it. I wasn't supposed to work until the night shift, so I hastily changed my shirt, dropping the dirt and blood stained one from the night before onto the floor. Fixing my hair with a little grease, I ran a comb through it a few times before abandoning the effort and leaving the house.

I found Amber sitting on the front porch of her house in front of her rickety old art easel that Soda had bought for her at a garage sale a few months before.

She turned to look at me as a started up the stairs, "hi Johnny."

"Oh, Amber," I couldn't keep the surprise out of my voice.

"I know, I look awful," she said turning back to her painting and swirling her brush in a cup of dirty water without letting her eyes meet mine.

I sat down on the swinging bench and lit a cigarette opting to stay quiet instead of telling her that she could never really look awful to me.

"Nobody is home right now, Pony is at track practice and Darry took Soda food shopping, Darry won't let me go anywhere because he's afraid someone will see me and report it to the state," she offered, "I had to fight with him just to be able to stay out here."

I didn't have anything to say to that so I stayed quiet, but she just smiled. She was used to me not knowing what to say.

"So are you going to the dance this Friday?" she asked.

I had forgotten that the spring dance was coming up, I had no real intention of going what with not having a girl to go with and Pony most likely going with the newest girl in school to have declared her affections for him – Pony sure was popular with the girls. I could never figure out if it was his good looks, or him being on the track team, or being so brainy or maybe all three, but he was never short on attention. He didn't flaunt it though, he might not have even noticed.

"I hadn't really thought about it," I mumbled, "are you?"

"Fred asked me to go with him, I told him I had to think about it."

"Are you still mad at him for acting like you were going steady in front of everyone?" I asked.

"No, not really…" she said "I was just hoping to go with someone else," she said looking embarrassed.

"Oh." I knew she was thinking of Dallas, and I also knew that she would have an easier time getting Elvis to be her date to that dance.

"Well have you asked him?"

"No, not quite, Johnny, stop laughing at me!"

"I'm sorry Amber, but you can't really think you have a chance of getting him to go, do you?" I asked choking a little on the smoke that I had inhaled before I started to laugh at her.

"Just forget it," she snapped, "what do you want anyway?"

I knew she wasn't really mad at me and I had stopped being afraid of her outbursts a long time ago – a part of her would never stop being the spoiled girl she was brought up to be, and being petted and smothered by her brothers didn't help that part of her personality any.

"My wrist hurts something awful," I replied dropping my cigarette on the ground and grinding it against the worn wooden panels of the porch as she stood and came over to me.

Her face softened instantly, "why didn't you say so before? Come into the house and I'll get you Tylenol and an ice pack," she said looking at me with worry.

I followed her into the dark house and waited while she washed her hands and then produced a few pills and a glass of water. "Sit down," she commanded pointing to the kitchen table.

I dropped down obediently and took the pills while she moved around the kitchen.

"Here," she said coming back with an ice pack which she placed on my swollen wrist, and a quarter of a chocolate cake which she placed in front of me.

She went back to the sink and came back with two forks, wiping them on the long shirt that I recognized as Pony's.

I accepted the fork in my left hand rather clumsily and dug into the cake, "how on earth are you going to get your homework done with your wrist banged up?" she asked "there's no way you can write with it, I bet Darry will bandage it when he gets back."

I shrugged, "I guess I won't be able to finish my composition, maybe I'll be able to make it up next year."

"I thought you had to hand it in so you could pass English and make it to next year," Amber pointed out none to gently, taking a bite of cake.

"Well it's started and it's not like this is my fault," I said "I'll just go talk to him tomorrow and hope for the best."

"I'll go with you," Amber said, "after all, I'm the one who fell on you and then he won't even have to know about the fight."

"Will Darry even let you go to school tomorrow?"

"Probably not, but I figure by Tuesday I'll be ok with some makeup."

I seriously doubted that but I didn't want to get snapped at again so I kept quiet and continued to shovel cake into my mouth as best I could with my left hand.

The screen door slammed and Darry yelled for Amber to get her easel out of the way and to help bring in the groceries.

"So much for keeping his sympathy," Amber mumbled grumpily, but she touched my shoulder as she passed with a smile, and I tried my best to ignore the chill it sent down my back.

On Wednesday when she was finally back in school, a thick layer of makeup covering the last of the bruising and cuts, she went with me to speak to our English teacher who flat out refused to release me from the assignment.

"But sir!" Amber argued "what do you expect him to do?"

"Well perhaps since you seem to have taken such an avid interest in Mr. Cade's academics, you can help him out Ms. Curtis"

I flushed red, there was no way I could tell Amber the thoughts I was having and have her write them down on paper, it was bad enough doing it myself. But realizing arguing wouldn't get us anywhere I nodded and beat it out of there, Amber close on my heels.

"I'm sorry Johnny," Amber said as met up with Pony who was hovering outside the door.

I shrugged, "it was worth a shot" I said as we made our way down the hall toward our lockers.

"Hi Johnny"

I whirled around and saw Kathy leaning against a bank of lockers, "Hi Kathy," I managed to get out feeling shy with Pony and Amber turning to see who I was talking to.

"This is Ponyboy and Amber Curtis," I said even though I knew she already knew who they were.

"Hi ya'll, I'm Kathy," she said with an easy smile, but I didn't miss the narrowed eye look that she gave Amber as she took in the plaid skirt and buttoned blouse, and it didn't seem like Amber missed it either.

"I work with Kathy," I said to help fill the awkward silence.

I heard Amber's soft gasp and her hand covered her mouth, "sorry," she squeaked "I um, I just remembered something."

"So how long are you out of work?" Kathy asked, pushing hair off her shoulder. She was wearing an old baseball t-shirt and a skirt that didn't fit right.

I looked at my bandaged wrist "a few more days at least, Mr. Martin was really angry when I told him."

"He'll get over it," she said. "I'm heading over there now, actually – Norma called out sick today, so I can pick up a few more hours."

"What about the rest of school?" Ponyboy asked

She looked at him with a sarcastic smile, "it'll still be here…I'll see you around Johnny."

"Bye," I said as she walked away and Amber grabbed my arm, "oh my god, Johnny, is that the same Kathy who has a baby?" she asked in a whisper.

I squirmed uncomfortably remembering Kathy's words about Amber being a gossip, I knew all along it was true – when we were dating she usually had more to say about everyone else's relationship than her own, but I never thought it was her being mean. But the light in her eyes now, and the way her face had lit up and knowing that she and someone else or multiple someone elses had been talking about Kathy bugged me a little.

"Yeah, that's her."

"Well do you know who the father is?" she asked

"No, I didn't ask," I said as we approached our lockers and I started looking for my biology text book.

"Well I've heard that it's…"

"Amber, I'm not really interested," I said a little more rudely than I had meant to.

"Fine, I just thought you might like to know who she's been with when she's so obviously into you," Amber said moving down the row to her own locker and switching her books, "I'll see you guys at lunch," she said slamming the door shut and walking away.

I looked at Ponyboy who shrugged, he may have girls buzzing around him all the time, but he didn't understand them any better than I did.

After school on Friday I walked to the Curtis' with Pony, Amber and Two-Bit, all of whom were planning on going to the dance that night. I had been talked into going, or more like begged to go, by Amber.

"I can't go alone Johnny, and Dallas refuses, he said he'd rather be killed than be seen at something like a high school dance," she had said wringing her hands together and looking so entirely pathetic I couldn't bring myself to say no. Besides, Pony was only going with his date as "friends" and when Two-Bit said he was going – drunk of course – but going, I figured the night might not be a total loss after all.

"Amber, come eat!" Darry yelled a few hours later as he worked his way around the kitchen. "Come on Ponyboy, get all of this out of here," he said indicating to the mess of papers scattered across the table.

"Sorry," Ponyboy grumbled sweeping the papers up into a messy pile and dropping them in the living room on the overflowing coffee table.

"Amber!" Darry called again

"Darry, I'm not eating here tonight, remember – I'm supposed to go to Cherry's to get ready for the dance," Amber said coming out of her room into the living room holding a yellow dress in one hand and her hairbrush in the other.

"Cherry's?" Darry asked with a skeptical look that didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the room.

"Well, yeah…all of the cheerleaders are going there, they were talking about it after practice yesterday and when Cherry saw I was still there, she asked me to come too," Amber said picking invisible lint off the dress she was holding. "Please let me go Darry, I really want to."

Darry looked torn and I didn't blame him, there was no logical explanation for Cherry befriending Amber – whether she was on the cheer team or not – it just seemed like a good way for Amber to end up getting hurt. Or maybe it was something different, maybe it was the fear that the more time she spent in a nice house, driving in a nice car, surrounded by people with money and all it had to offer, the more dissatisfied she would be when she came home.

Still, it was hard to deny those begging green eyes anything, I ought to know, getting roped into this dance and all, and once again Darry relented, "how were you planning on getting there?" he asked

"Soda said he would drop me off on his way over to Steve's,"

"Alright, you can go, but I want you home by midnight, Ponyboy you too," he added

"Thank you, Darry, thank you!" Amber said wrapping her arms around his middle and hugging him tightly.

He smiled ruefully and ruffled her hair, "have fun kiddo."

"Johnny, are you going to this dance also?" Darry asked as Amber rushed back into her room to finish getting ready.

I nodded "what are you up to tonight?"

"I have a date," he said but couldn't get much further before he had Soda and Ponyboy on his case

"Ooooooooooooooh," Soda crowed "who's the lucky lady?"

"Shut your mouth little buddy," Darry said, but he couldn't quite hide the pleased smile that was tugging at the corners of his mouth "she's the daughter of a client, actually"

"Flirting on the job again, huh Darry," Soda said with a grin narrowly avoiding a thrashing as Amber came skipping out into the living room, "come on Soda!"

"Home by midnight!" Darry called again as the screen door slammed shut behind them.

"Alright you two, get in here," Darry said moving back into the kitchen and scooping potatoes onto plates.

"Thanks Darry," Ponyboy said as we sat down around the table and dug into our food.

"I ironed some clothes for you for tonight, you were planning on changing weren't you?"

Ponyboy rolled his eyes, "yes Darry, I was gonna change. You didn't have to iron though…why are you eating anyway if you have a date?" Ponyboy asked watching Darry shovel potatoes and chicken into his mouth.

"Because, little man, it's expensive to eat out…this way I can take her out and just have a salad or something," he explained.

Ponyboy's cheeks flushed to match Darry's, "we really are poor, ain't we Darry."

"Don't worry about it kiddo," Darry said standing up to clear our plates, "just have fun tonight, and remember…"

"Home by twelve," Ponyboy droned.


End file.
